


Rose and the Human Timelord

by silversurfer60



Series: Human Timelord [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fobwatch, Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-06 19:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 74,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4233189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silversurfer60/pseuds/silversurfer60
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose bets the Doctor that he can't become Human after he brags that he can. The bet is he stays Human for three months, has no knowledge who he is and Rose can't tell him. Best of all, Rose gets to pick who he becomes so she tells the Tardis she wants him to become a famous actor who has just got a part in a play and she gets a job in the theatre.  Set in the style of 'Human Nature/Family of blood' and inspired by David Tennant in the RSC's Richard II.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What would happen when the Doctor becomes Human and Rose has to keep him safe for three months without his knowledge? Rose finds many comparisons between his old self and his new persona and thinks somewhere deep inside, despite him being Human, the Timelord is still in there. Kind of a re-working of 'Human Nature/Family of blood' and takes place just after 'The Impossible Planet/Satan Pit' where they are talking domestics and mixed with a bit of 'Sound of drums/Last of the Timelords'.
> 
>  
> 
> This is from Rose's point of view.
> 
>    
> Disclaimer! Any similarity between The Doctor's and David Tennant's persona is purely coincidently and takes place only in my mind just because I was obsessed with him when he had long hair and people and the press were mean to him! Read into it what you will, no intrusion into anyone's personal life is intended and any references are to The Doctor in his assumed identity where he adopts the persona of a human version of himself.
> 
> Please excuse any spelling or grammatical mistakes, I am in the process of editing all the stories and it may take some time!

"No way, Doctor, there is absolutely no way you would survive being Human. You hate being domestic, you can't stay in one place. I bet you'd never be able to do it." Rose was laughing by this stage after he bragged he had a device that could make him Human or any other species he wanted. They had talked about settling on Earth, probably not how they remembered it but actually living in a house, possibly together, after the Tardis was lost at the bottom of a pit.

"OK Rose, if you don't believe I can actually live as a Human, make me prove it. I'll stay a Human for three months, you can't say you already know me, you have to get me to get to know you and to make it easy, you can get the Tardis to make me anything you want and she will also invent a story for you but you can't watch while I undergo the change because it's quite painful and I don't want you getting upset. The Tardis will put me in the right setting wherever you are and when I make the transition, she will set me in the right place to find you. Just say exactly what you want and when you've done it, come and get me then go get your things, come and find me to make sure I'm ok then come back into the Tardis and retrieve this watch." He picked up a pocket watch with an intricate design and showed it to her. He watched her reaction.

He continued. "Everything Timelord about me will be in this watch and after three months, you have to get me to open it. If it's over that time, don't worry, just give me it when it's the right time. If however, the Earth is in danger, you must make me open it, don't think because I'll be Human that no-one will come looking for me or there will be no trouble. You have to guard this with your life Rose, because it will be my life and no matter how good or bad things become, even if I refuse to open it, you have my permission to force me to open it because when I change back, I will remember it all and I'll be ok, I won't be mad at you for making me open it. You have my word, there will be no reprisals." Hopefully there wouldn't be. "Tell me when you want to start."

Rose looked at him questioning now if he really meant it and wanted to prove it to him that it wouldn't be easy.

"I have some questions first of all because I want no reprisals afterwards and I want some ground rules so first off, I can get the Tardis to make you anything I want you to be but you can't already know me, right?" Rose asked. He nodded. "Right, you will find me?" He nodded again. "What happens if you decide to fall in love with me or someone else?"

His face went deadly serious. "Oh, I suppose that might happen. Right, if you see me chatting any women up, you have to stop me somehow, I don't want you thinking I'm ignoring you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable if I got a girlfriend so maybe choose something where I won't get a chance. If you think I might fall in love with you, you'll have to try and fight me off," he grinned. "If you can't fight me off, well it's up to you. If you reciprocate my advances towards you, which I won't be able to help by the way, you know what Human males are like, just tell me some story about you having a boyfriend or something. Oh, wait, then that will make me look elsewhere. Well then, in that case you'll just have to make sure it doesn't go too far. Three months and it's not like I'll be really leaving you afterwards." He saw the look on her face. "Oh Rose, I didn't mean it like that. I meant we're good friends, we practically live together, sort of, we hug sometimes, well lots of times and we hold hands. We go everywhere together and…." His voice trailed off. "Do you want to call this off?"

Rose shook her head. Three months of him being Human was just about right. She could get her own back for all the times he had teased her with all that hand holding and hugging. Didn't he know what it did to her? He was clueless as a male Timelord but as a male Human, well she would give him a taste of what it was like. She wouldn't take advantage of him though, just enough to let him know how she felt and to carry it over into reality when he changed back, if he wanted. She could do it.

"Just one more thing. Whatever happens, you'll remember everything?" He nodded again. "And you won't be mad if I let things get a little personal because I don't want you to hate me if you make me your girlfriend or something and if I see you with another woman, well we won't go into that. What will happen when you change back? I mean whoever you become, other people will get to know you, how will you explain your disappearance?"

"I'll just leave wherever it is quietly and without any fuss, tell them I'm going away. You have to keep this watch safe Rose, I mean it. I take it you want to be on Earth somewhere in your own time but you can't tell your mother so best not make it London. Just keep in touch with her by phone, it will keep her happy. Right, anything else? Oh and don't get any ideas about getting married or anything, even if I ask you and if I ask someone else, then definitely don't let me! Put it off and we'll at least talk about it when I'm back to normal because whether I display an interest in you or not is not down to anything you've done and I may end up hurting you but I won't mean it Rose, never would I want to hurt you. I want you to treat me like a normal Human male."

He walked over to her and pulled her into one of their long hugs. "You are brilliant Rose, you really are and I care a lot about you. If I display any tendencies to seek out company, I should be drawn to you. The Tardis will let you know when it's done, should land somewhere safe and I'll be unconscious, wake up thinking I've been asleep, probably in a flat or a hotel or somewhere and then she'll hide herself away somewhere where you can find her. Oh and you'll be able to talk to her so you can ask questions, you know you have a link to her and I'll leave a message for you. Right, I'll go and get myself ready and you pick what you want me to be."

"Doctor, are you sure you want me to pick anything?" He said yes. "Well, don't say I never asked and if it really starts to get awkward between us, I'll get you to open the watch even if it isn't three months and you will have won. You won't go stir crazy will you, being Human?"

"No, as long as you make it interesting, so don't put me anywhere boring and don't let me see the watch or it might be drawn to me and I might begin to suspect something. Right then, Allons-y, let's get on with it Rose Tyler and I know whatever you choose will be brilliant."

Rose looked at him, she had always wished he was Human or even part Human after he regenerated but now she wasn't sure about this. What could she choose where he wouldn't get bored? Nothing dangerous, nothing where she would never meet him, well the Tardis would make sure he met her and at least she would be able to come back here for advice. She walked up to him and pulled him into a hug.

"I just don't want you to hate me if something happens between us, I don't want you to feel you owe me anything when it's over." She looked up at him and he kissed her forehead.

"Oh Rose, things could never be awkward between us, don't ever think that. If I do display affection towards you, it will only be because it's what I really feel, I just can't express myself very well, that's all. Timelords were never the romantic type, we didn't have a different boyfriend or girlfriend every couple of months. We chose carefully and only bonded when the time was right. I'm just trying to prove to you that I could live as a Human and want you to know me as a Human to see the difference. When it's all over or you choose to end it sooner, I won't be mad at you, it was my idea. Now, let's get on with it, no time like the present."

"Will you do one thing for me before you change? Just kiss me, once?" She looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him as he lowered his head and kissed her lightly on her lips without answering or questioning her.

He left the console room and Rose sat down thinking what she would choose for him. She had always imagined this and now it was coming true and he could be any man she made him, wow, a big decision. An artist perhaps, no that was boring. A writer? No, he'd be stuck in front of a computer all day. Someone who had to choose her out of all the woman he could have, someone he worked with, in close proximity. Then it struck her. She had a talent for doing make-up and hair, her mother had taught her so what about using it, not in a salon but a theatre? Yes, he could also work in a theatre as a stage-hand or something? No! he could be an actor, not too famous but just got a part in a play and she would be able to do his hair and make-up. He could have the lead part so he would need lots of attention and need lot's of different hairstyles and be away from home so he would be in a hotel.

Rose was on a roll now, her imagination running riot with what she wanted, an established job with the theatre and the trust of the bosses to get the job of looking after him over any of the others, maybe not looking just after him at first but them agreeing to let her spend more time with him than any of the others then she could keep an eye on him. What could happen in a theatre full of people? They wouldn't be able to go out at night, they'd be busy during the afternoon with preparations so he should be quite safe from other females apart from the ones in the theatre and if she kept an eye on him looking at any of the others, well she would just have to interfere somehow. She couldn't make it too easy by being the only attractive female there but maybe only one or two.

So she tuned her thoughts into the Tardis and conveyed what she wanted, leaving the ship to fill in the details, which she seemed quite good at because every time Rose wanted a certain dress or anything for that matter, it was provided for her and the Tardis could convey one word thoughts into her head such as yes or no if she asked questions. She said she was ready, placed the watch where the Doctor had showed her and went to find him, telling the Tardis she was going to get him. She found him in his room, stretched out on his bed, staring at the ceiling which had been transformed into a view of a nebula that Rose had never seen before and Rose just stared at it, she hadn't really been in his room before either.

"Doctor, that's beautiful, why doesn't my bedroom ceiling look like that?" she asked.

"It can if you want, just ask. Just say what view you want. Go on, give it a try but first, come and lie down her and watch this," as the stars started to swirl around.

She laid down, a reasonable distance from him and stared at it. She had never seen anything quite like it. He took hold of her hand and pointed out various things so her hand was pointing as well as he looked at her watching the nebula, then told her to choose a view. She chose a view of the Earth from the moon and imagined standing there.

"Will you take me there one day and let me stand on the moon? It's the one planet you've never taken me to. Why have we never been there, you can put a shield around us so we can breathe, can't you?"

"Of course I can and if you want to go to the moon, when this is over, that's where we will go. Seen enough?" he asked. Rose nodded and he let go of her hand and rolled over onto his side and brushed her cheek with his finger. "Right then, see you properly in three months and don't forget, you can back out at any time if there's any danger or you feel it's getting out of control."

He got up off the bed, extending his hand to help her up and pulled her into a hug. "Last chance if you want to back out."

Rose remained in the hug until he let go and walked out of his room. She was going to call after him but it was too late, he was out of sight. Still, it was just another adventure, they were all full of uncertainty and it would give him a new experience, an insight into being Human and he would be better for it – she hoped. She was trusting the Tardis to take care of everything, that when the transformation was complete, they would have landed where they were going to be for the next three months, the Doctor would be placed in a hotel or somewhere that she may have to drag him into if he was unconscious or he might stumble out on his own and she would have accommodation and a job where everyone knew her.

Rose was hoping she wouldn't hear or see the transformation, it had been bad enough watching him regenerate and had upset her. Then a thought struck her, she hadn't said she wanted him to look the same, what it he looked different? It was too late but she hoped the Tardis knew enough about her to know she really liked him the way he was. A bell went off somewhere as she was gathering some of her things telling her it was over and things were set. She walked slowly to the console room to find it had changed, or maybe she had taken a wrong turning? No, it had definitely changed to resemble the outside of a hotel, thinking that was for The Doctor's benefit but just as she entered, it changed back, leaving a tortuous looking device hanging from the rafters and she took hold of it, retrieving the watch.

She mentally said goodbye to the Tardis and as she left, the ship dimmed itself and Rose stepped outside after picking up some items from the console that had been left for her, some keys and an address. She found herself outside a small block of flats which she assumed she was staying in and hoped no-one was around but when she turned around, the Tardis was gone but she noticed the key that was still around her neck was glowing which meant the ship was nearby. Rose entered the block of flats and opened the door to the one on the piece of paper and was pleasantly surprised. She looked at the piece of paper again to see where she was supposed to be working and thought she was seeing things, it was only one of the most famous theatres ever and she was in a lovely English rural town. What she didn't know was who the Doctor had actually become.

Inside the flat was a wardrobe full of clothes her size plus drawers full of accessories and everything she needed. She assumed technicalities such as rent and bills would need paying but found a rent book paid for the next three months but she thought she would have to pay utility bills so she would have to watch out for them. She hoped she would actually get paid for this, living in her own flat for three months. Wondering how the Doctor was getting on, she rang a number to find out when she was supposed to be going to work, the ruse was she had just come back from holiday to a new production already in rehearsals to cover her not knowing much. After she came off the phone, she learned she was due in the next day at noon. Then she thought about food, how was she going to eat with no money? She took her bank card out of her pocket, not that it would do any good but maybe she had been paid in advance. She looked in the fridge and the cupboards though and found everything she needed, clever Tardis.

The next morning, she got herself ready and since she didn't know her way around, luckily there was a map and she found she had about a ten minute walk to the theatre and set off in the general direction. She found it easily once through the streets but since she wouldn't be finishing until late at night once the play was in full production so she was hoping she had some money to get a taxi back each night. Arriving in the square in front of the theatre, she found a cash machine and tried to see if there was any money in her account and was stunned to find there was actually money in it. She didn't know if she had been paid from her job or the ship had arranged it so she took some cash out to pay for lunch and a taxi home and found her balance was still the same. That took care of that question then but the theatre must have her details to get paid, surely?

She looked across at the theatre and saw a large banner outside with 'Richard II' on it but from where she was standing, the rest was obscured from her view. She found the stage door and saw a group of people standing around, wondering what they were waiting for at that time but a doorman spotted her, opened the door and said "Hello Rose, had a good holiday?" to which she'd said yes and he let her in. There was a coded lock on the door so she must get the code at the earliest chance, pretend she'd forgotten it while being away.

She made her way to the dressing rooms area, there were supposed to be only two days until opening night, she was looking for anyone remotely like the Doctor but it was early, he might not be in yet when she heard her name being called. A woman who looked like she was in her late fifties was waving her over.

"Rose, glad you're back. Did you have a good holiday in Spain?" Rose said yes, politely and hoped not to be asked too many questions since she had never actually been there and glad to know where she was supposed to have been.

"Yeah, it was great, loads of sun and swimming, never really left the resort, no reason to. So, have I missed anything? Did the code on the stage door get changed by any chance? I tried it and it didn't work, had to be let in." She was trying to be sneaky and not let on she wasn't who she was supposed to be.

"No, not that I know of, it's still the same, Rose, I'm surprised you think we would change it, it's fairly obvious that no-one from the public would suspect we actually used it," the woman laughed. She wasn't giving it away but maybe she had given her a clue as to what it was.

Rose didn't even know her name, that was something, she didn't even know what name the Doctor was going under but suspected it would be John Smith or something similar.

"Right, best get to work then, who am I looking after? I take it that I'll be looking after a few of the actors. The full cast wasn't named before I left was it? Or has all that sun affected my brain?" Rose laughed.

The woman laughed too, shaking her head and saying, "You can be a scatterbrain at times Rose. Don't you remember?" Rose shook her head innocently. "You were excited because you're looking after, amongst others, your favourite actor."

Rose was rather stumped. Had the Tardis turned the Doctor into one of her favourite actors? "Oh no," she thought, "Not the Scottish one please, I'll die if it is." She rather thought that at times, the Doctor resembled him but since that actor had a beard most of the time, it wasn't that much of a resemblance really. She had pointed it out to him but he just laughed and said he looked nothing like him.

The woman looked at her and said, "Well come on then, you'd best go meet him, he's having trouble with that hair extension he's had fitted, he says it looks like an untamed fox's tail and the press are having a field day with it. Maybe you can do something with it, he certainly can't, he's had it bunched up in a ponytail since yesterday. This play is going to have lots of different hairstyles and make-up for the principle players so I hope you had a good rest."

Rose was horrified, he must have gone straight to the theatre yesterday after they arrived or maybe given the impression to everyone that he had. She followed the woman and learned her name since someone called her, then into the rehearsal room which contained most of the cast. She recognised a few of them, one of her mum's favourite actresses was amongst them and saw a young blonde man from the back but he turned round and it wasn't the Doctor, then saw a tall man with his back to her, talking to a younger woman and Rose thought she was too late if it was actually him since he was probably the only one with long hair, he had already found someone to chat up but he suddenly turned around and Rose recognised him instantly, his sideburns were gone and he was clean shaven, wearing a Beatles t-shirt and tan corduroy trousers and trainers.

Rose gulped when he turned around, he didn't look that much different but she had never seen him with long hair and wondered just when exactly he had acquired the hair extension, maybe the Tardis did it, he wouldn't forgive the ship for that! The woman, who Rose had discovered was called Mary, introduced them.

"Jonathan, this is Rose, she will be looking after your hair and make-up during your performances. Rose say hello to Jonathan Smyth" and with that, Mary walked away and Rose stood with her mouth open, thanking everything she knew it was not who she thought or hoped he would be turned into.

Now Rose was going to have to pretend with millions of others that she knew who he was, what plays he had supposed to have already been in and fend off thousands of fans every night who would be coming to get his autograph, those she had passed on the way in probably being amongst them and the play hadn't even started yet. Plus she would have to get used to his new name but she was relieved she hadn't had to face the actor who she had a real big crush on. On top of that, there was an attractive female who would probably be playing opposite him every night. She might just have some competition.

He held his hand out and she took it nervously as he said, "Hi, Rose, my own personal hairdresser. Well, maybe you can do something with this, I'm already getting talked about in the newspapers," as he grabbed his ponytail from behind, a big grin on his face. "Oh and please, call me Jon, without the 'h' " he laughed.

Rose thought that was so him. He spoke like the Doctor, he even grinned at her like he used to do so Rose knew it was him. She walked around the back of him to see just how long it was and said, "Yeah, I can do something like that. We need to discuss all the scenes you're in and how many different styles you're going to need. Then we have to work out how much time it takes to do each one and the time in-between your scenes. Some of the breaks might be quite short and you'll still have to get changed and have your make-up checked and your hair brushed if the style is the same. We may have to do some by the side of the stage, not your dressing room, then there are costume changes." If that wasn't putting him off, it was certainly putting her off. She didn't know if she was up for this big a challenge.

He was staring at her, sure, he was supposed to be used to all this but in reality, he wasn't and he probably wasn't used to quite so many hairstyle changes anyway. Rose was going to need all the skills her mother had taught her and more for this one and she was meant to be looking after others as well. No way and she would have to say something to Mary, who looked like she was in charge. Just then, a man came in and called for everyone's attention, Rose thought he must be the director since everyone looked at him. Rose took the opportunity to sneak to the back of the room since it wouldn't concern her but she was in for a shock as he called her back as it did concern her as well.

Eventually, people started to disperse to go out onto the stage for a rehearsal, the next day was a full dress rehearsal so Rose would see just exactly how her talents would hold up. She was surprised when the director stopped her as she was leaving the room, thinking she had been caught out.

"Rose, nice to have you back. Listen I know you're supposed to be looking after some of the others as well but I think, on reflection, you're going to have your hands full looking after Jon and that wild hair extension of his so can you do me a really huge favour and concentrate just on him? I'll get someone up from the other theatre to help take care of the others. You do know he has to keep that in, it's too complicated to put in every day, it's not like a normal wig. Can you do that please Rose? I'd take it as a real personal favour if you did. We have to look after him."

"Of course, I'd be only too happy to. I was just telling him we would have to go through everything and I was wondering how I would manage to do someone else's as well. It's going to be a challenge."


	2. Chapter 2

The director thanked her and walked off, calling one of the actor's names and Rose went off in search of her prey. She couldn't believe her luck, or the Tardis, whichever was responsible, that she was going to be able to spend most of her time there looking after him, she might be able to keep that actress away from him. If she could keep him occupied and maybe spoil and pamper him but she had promised herself no sneaky tricks to get him and to just play along if he chatted her up, not get too involved, maybe the odd snogging session, which would be nice, they could laugh about it afterwards but anything else, well, she wouldn't have to let it go too far but he had said he wouldn't be mad at her so as long as she drew a line and didn't cross it, she was sure she would get away with it and he wouldn't get too embarrassed about it.

Three months though, she was wishing now it had only been a few weeks, she could have kept him away for that amount of time but what did he expect her to do with him for three months as a Human if he came on to her in a big way? Talk about Mickey being the idiot. Three months of trying to keep him interested in her but not actually let him go the whole way was going to be tough but she could tell him she didn't take precautions or something equally dumb and he might believe her. Anyway, she had to get him to like her that way first of all or keep him away from other women, maybe if she could just accomplish that part first, then think about keeping him interested.

She went to the side of the stage, he was standing there reading his lines, his hair still in the ponytail. She motioned him away from where they would be heard by the other actors out there and asked if he wanted her to take his hair out of the ponytail and see if she could smooth it down to give him an idea of what it would actually look like on the stage. He said ok and since she had a spray bottle with her, she sat him down and took the band out of his hair and had to suppress a giggle but he caught on.

"OK, you too huh?" he laughed. "Go on, might as well get it out of your system, everyone else has."

"Oh, I'm sorry but you have to admit, it's a bit wild. Sit still while I put this on your hair or are you due on stage soon?" Rose began to spray the water onto his hair, just to take some of the frizz out of it.

"Na, not for a while anyway, they're going over some scenes that don't involve me, lucky for you since you laughed at me, you can sort this out for me now for that," he grinned.

"Did they tell you how to look after it, how to wash it properly?" she asked. He shook his head. "Well it needs washing properly and you do know you can't take it out, it has to stay. I'll comb it out for now but it will frizz again if it doesn't get washed so after your rehearsal I'll wash it for you and it would be better if I put it in a braid. I'll show you how to wash it and braid it but you might have difficulty doing that so if you wash it, you'd best stick to tying it back. It should be easier once it's been washed."

She finished combing it and it look better and admired the intricate way it had been attached to his own hair. Wow, the Tardis had done a real good job unless he had actually gone to get it done yesterday.

"Right, you're all done for now but come and find me after you've finished on stage and I'll give you a free hair extension washing lesson, then you can wash it in the shower and I'll put it in a braid before you leave the theatre."

"I really don't want to put you to any trouble, I'll manage with it tied back most of the time as long as it's not wild," he laughed.

"It's no bother, someone is wanting you on stage," she replied as he was being beckoned towards the side of the stage. She looked at him and thought he looked really great with long flowing hair. He walked off with a "Thanks Rose" as he left.

Rose went back to the dressing area and put the spray bottle back after refilling it and wondered which basket of make-up items was hers, there were a few but one has a sticker with her name on it, "how convenient," she thought and looked through it. Some of the other women came in, most were older than her and she wondered just how old she was supposed to be, she was only just reaching twenty and looking at herself in the mirror, wondered how other people regarded her. Did she look too young to be doing such a job, that of looking after the lead actor?

The others were all laughing when they came in and one ask Rose about her holiday saying how lucky she was, asking how she had enjoyed it. She hoped she wasn't expected to have brought presents back or she was stuck. Some of the actors came back in so most of the women went off and Rose was left alone.

Just then, the young blonde man she had seen earlier came up to her, close and tried to put his arm around her which she shrugged away. She was obviously supposed to know who he was.

"Hello Rose, I was hoping you would be back today. Do you want to get together later or are you going to keep turning me down every time like you did the last time I was here?" he asked, trying to put his arm around her again.

She backed away, hoping the Doctor hadn't seen. "No, I've just got back, I don't think so and if I turned you down before then I must have had a good reason for doing so anyway."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Three months this time Rose, I'm here three months and don't think I'm going to give up this time. I know I was only here two weeks last time, not enough for you to get to know me but this time you do. Just remember that." He turned and walked off to his dressing room.

"Just great," she thought, "I get someone who's interested in me and it's the wrong man, just my luck. Why couldn't the Doctor have been him instead?"

Just then, Mary came back in and said she had been informed that Rose was going to attend solely to Jon. "So, if you aren't going to be looking after anyone else, they're sending a girl up from the other theatre to help. It's not often one of the actor's gets special treatment but I admit, you're going to have a lot of work to do. Have you been though everything with him yet?"

"No, he had to go to rehearsals although I managed to smooth his hair down for him and I'm going to show him how to manage it so he can at least wash it himself. I don't think it's a good idea for me to do it all the time although I will if I have to. Have you seen him on the stage now I've combed it out, it was looking much better."

Mary shook her head, patted her on the back and went off, leaving Rose alone again. She sat down and waited for Jon, she had to remember not to call him 'Doctor' any more and it was going to take some getting used to. Half an hour later, a few more actors came off stage and so was Jon, talking to his leading lady. Rose was hoping she wouldn't have to get her to back off but she supposed he talked to everyone in the cast. Just then he saw her and she tried to avoid looking at him too keenly. He walked over to her and asked if she was ready for the hair washing lesson.

They chatted while Rose was giving him instructions about being careful not to pull the thing out, to which he was laughing and saying if he messed up, she would have to do it all the time and Rose trying to give the impression that was never going to happen but she resigned herself to having to do so. At least it would give her extra time with him. It seemed strange to her, seeing him like this. He was still basically the same, full of energy and liked to talk but he looked completely different. The Doctor had never really gone for the 'casual' look and she had never seen him wearing jeans.

The lesson completed, Rose thinking there was little hope he would actually manage it, knowing him in his old persona but maybe in this new one but if they were basically the same, most of the Doctor's habits would show up, maybe in smaller doses. He was just about to leave when she thought she should warn him there may be autograph seekers outside.

"Oh, by the way, there were some people waiting by the stage door when I came in, just thought I'd warn you."

"Yeah, that usually happens, occupational hazard! During the performance dates I was told I'd have someone with me when I go out to give autographs but I can't see it being a major problem unless someone wants something other than a programme signing. Right, best be off then, I'm starving, hope the hotel dining room is open."

"The café upstairs is open all the time if you ever get stuck," Rose offered helpfully, not wanting him to go until she knew for sure her would be rival had left the building as she had been busy in his dressing room after washing his hair in the communal dressing area but opting to give his hair management lessons in private as some of the others were staring. She was going to suggest to him that he came in earlier to avoid future embarrassment.

"Oh, right, yes, I'll keep that in mind for when the play opens. By the way, since it's full dress rehearsal tomorrow, I don't want to make a mess of my hair so could you come in early to do it for me, so the other's aren't looking?"

He must have been a mind reader Rose was thinking. That agreed, she thought it would be safe to leave as it was late afternoon and she was just about to walk back to her flat but it was raining when she got to the door. A free taxi phone was on the wall and Jon saw her going over to pick it up.

"Rose, wait, if you're getting a taxi, you can share mine if you want, no sense in getting two. The driver can drop you off on the way. Any chance you might join me for dinner later, doesn't have to be the hotel if you're worried some of the others might be there."

"Blimey," Rose thought, "he certainly isn't wasting any time or is he just being friendly?" Thinking if he dropped her off, he might discover where she lived though, she was going to decline until he held out his hand to take an umbrella from the doorman as a taxi drew up outside and she thought, "Oh well, why not?"

She got into the cab and he handed the umbrella back to the doorman with a 'thanks' and asked Rose where she wanted dropping off and told the driver to drop her first. It was only a five minute drive and they soon arrived. Jon turned to her and asked about going out later.

"Can I pick you up at seven?" he asked.

Rose wasn't too sure what his motives were but needed to find out otherwise she would scare him off. "OK, but can you make it seven thirty?"

"Ok, seven thirty it is and you can choose where to go. Bye for now, Rose."

She got out of the taxi and he waved as the cab pulled out of the parking area. Just as she was about to go in, she got a sudden feeling the Tardis had parked herself nearby and looked around the back of the property where the disposal area was, getting wet in the process and saw a hint of blue behind some bushes and on closer inspection was relieved to see the ship. She always kept her key with her and she opened the door and said hello. The ship flashed the column lights in response as though she was glad to see Rose, who said she was sorry she hadn't been earlier. She sat on the seat she and the Doctor used to share and said how much she missed the old him. The Tardis hummed in agreement. Rose looked at the monitor and turned it on. There was a message for her from before he had changed, telling her he trusted her to look after him and not to let him ignore her and he had added a few things to the instructions Rose had given the ship. Rose thought he had a nerve altering her wishes but when she learned what they were, she had to smile.

He said he had altered his promise of seeking her out and should be attracted to her to he would instantly be attracted to her because he didn't want to hurt her feelings and make her jealous but he promised it would never get too awkward that he would ask her to go too far. He was so sneaky! Why couldn't he just have come out and told her before he changed, then they wouldn't have had to go through this charade? Then he had added that he wasn't going to make it too easy for her, if she rejected him or tried to put him off entirely or got herself another boyfriend, then he assumed that's how she wanted to play it and if she did, then no bad feelings but he might then look elsewhere. Rose wasn't happy with that, he wasn't really giving her much choice was he? Return his advances on her, be rejected and stay away from other men. Thanks! Three months of trying to fight him off and keep him interested or three months of misery watching him with someone else and risk not being able to get him to open the watch and fending other men off without him seeing – just great.

She vent her frustration on the ship, although technically it wasn't the ship's fault, Rose had said more or less what she wanted but had not stopped him adding anything to it and perhaps he was just safeguarding her so she wouldn't get hurt. If he was off with someone else she wouldn't enjoy the whole experience and he wouldn't be able to prove he could live as a Human male. Right, better get back to the flat and get ready to go out then.

She stroked the Tardis console and said goodbye and that she would be back soon and went back to her flat. She had been provided with a laptop and internet access so she looked up local restaurants and also tried to find out just exactly Jonathan Smyth was supposed to be. He had quite a long list of plays behind him apparently from Shakespeare to comedy and travelled from theatre to theatre in different plays, no TV though apart from interviews on popular talk shows, voice-overs and some radio plays and was a member of several theatrical groups and a renowned Shakespearian actor from quite an early age and he was now supposed to be thirty five. There were numerous websites dedicated to him, from fan made sites to collections of photos of him and Rose wondered how the Tardis had managed such a thing but there again, the ship could go back through time and establish all this, going back to his childhood and she marvelled at the intricate details the ship had put into it and how the whole country had been taken by him and the news headlines going back to his early career when he had just started out. He seemed to have everyone mesmerised with him, he was the golden boy of the theatre, many established actors sang his praises and spoke highly of him.

Time was running out for her to get dressed and she opened the wardrobe the Tardis had provided and chose a blue jersey dress with a black belt and chose a jacket hanging up in the entryway of her flat. She was surprised she had been given a two bedroom flat, it was quite spacious and thought her job must be well paid or she had got a good deal on it or even have shared with someone at some point. That was a thought, maybe she had a flat mate and that was why the cupboards and fridge were well stocked but she had been in both bedrooms and they were only clothes in her size in one of them, the other was empty. By seven fifteen she was getting nervous and she hoped it had stopped raining. Her doorbell rang at seven twenty five and she answered the intercom – in was Jon, he had actually got out of the taxi to call for her! She felt like a sixteen year old on her first date – well, it was their first date since he became Jon.

He greeted her and she told the taxi driver where to take them and all evening, he was the perfect gentleman, paying attention to her, asking about where she came from, her having to alter things slightly, she didn't even know how old she was supposed to be, she couldn't tell him she was barely twenty, he would have cringed, well maybe as a Human but the Doctor never really seemed to care or maybe that was why he hadn't wanted to get involved with her, he thought she was too young. Still, it wasn't like anyone was really going to check up in the next three months, hopefully and she thought she really must look around the flat to see if there was anything to indicate her actual age before she started lying about it.

After they finished their meal, they went into the bar area, Rose opting for something non-alcoholic, just in case she needed her wits about her, she had read some things about his invented life and the way he was supposed to travel around to different theatres was only a tame version of their own travels, never staying in one place. In fact, she had read that this stint in this particular play was one of the longest he had done in one place, with only a short break for the upcoming bank holidays. Yes, he was certainly going to need some company.

They got up to leave and he asked if he could see her home, that it would be remiss of him if he didn't see her safely to her door.

"So, Rose, I hope you enjoyed your meal. We must come here again, it's really nice," he said, looking around, then seeing some single flowers on the counter, took one, put money in a box and gave her it to her with a smile saying, "For you, although it pales compared to you," then ushered her outside to a waiting taxi, holding the door for her then getting in beside her as she moved over.

Rose was thinking he may be going a bit overboard but it was kind of sweet, something he would really do if it was the old him although without the cheesy line about the flower perhaps! On the way back he turned towards her.

"You know, after tomorrow night, we'll be busy at the theatre until late so I won't get many chances to ask you out, except for maybe Sundays so would you like to go out again tomorrow night by any chance?" he asked hopefully.

Rose decided she was going to make the most of this since she was going to be cooped up in a theatre every night for the next three months and wouldn't get much of a social life, which was what she had intended for him, not her as well but if he had to suffer then so should she really, don't ask someone to do something you wouldn't do yourself, her mother always used to say. Speaking of which, she knew she had to phone her and let her know she was ok but what if her name got in the papers alongside the Doctor's new identity? Crumbs, she hadn't thought of that! How would she talk herself out of that? She must check for ID now, she might have been given a new name as well but she knew her first name was still Rose.

He was waiting for an answer when they pulled into the parking area of her block of flats as he got out to open the door for her, asking the driver to wait and helped her out, walking her to the front door. She had to give him an answer.

"Yes, I'd like to go out again, you choose somewhere and surprise me. I'll see you at the theatre tomorrow for dress rehearsals but it's best we don't say anything, backstage gossip gets around fast as you should well know," she laughed "and we don't want people to get the wrong idea, I mean, it was just dinner." Now she was going to see how far he was going to take this.

"Oh, I don't know Rose, was it just dinner? I thought it was a little more than just dinner, in fact I'd go as far as to say it was a really nice evening and I really enjoyed your company and I had hoped you enjoyed mine?" He leaned forward slightly and Rose thought he was actually going to kiss her on their first date but instead he kissed her cheek and whispered, "So, after the theatre tomorrow, you and me, somewhere a little bit quieter, having dinner by candlelight, yes?"

Rose smiled to herself, he really was hooked! "Yes, I'd like that Jon, that would be lovely but at the theatre, we'll have to keep things professional tomorrow." She moved her head slightly and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight then, thanks a really nice evening, I enjoyed it."

He waited until she was in the doorway and waved as she closed the door. Maybe this wasn't going to be so easy after all. Two dates in two nights, that was record even before she'd met him, the first him. It was getting late so she knew she would have to put off her phone call to her mother until the following day and wondered if she should mention to her she might have got mixed up with a famous actor. She could always pretend they were investigating something at a theatre, she might get away with that and they had gone under cover, that would explain but what if Jackie had already suspected that The Doctor suddenly looked like Jonathan Smyth? Well, that was another mystery she was going to have to figure out, along with her long list of other things but not tonight. It then occurred to her that he never asked for her phone number, oh well, that was just like the old him then.

The next morning, she rooted through various drawers and cupboards, seeking out anything that gave her a clue about her new personal details, finding the rent book again with the full address and noting another woman's name on it, she must have had a flatmate recently and it was paid three months in advance and she realised there must be bills that had been paid or waiting to be paid and took another look around but if so much detail had been put into it and she knew how old he was supposed to be, which he did actually look, then why couldn't she find out how old she was? Was it too much to ask? She must have some ID around the place, a passport or something but she had left all that with her mum after getting Mickey to bring it to her in Cardiff on false pretences, though why she actually needed one she didn't know but it was good to have all the same.

She was just going to have to hope someone or something would give her a clue but at least she didn't have to worry about his cover, trust the ship to take his side. She rang her mother, assured her she was ok and that they'd be over to see her soon, glad Jackie hadn't said anything about Jon looking like a certain Timelord and got ready to go to work, she was meant to be in early for full dress. When she arrived, she couldn't find Jon, he wasn't with any of the others. Then a woman came up to her with her arms open, Rose hadn't see her the previous day and assumed it was the extra help mentioned previously and the woman pulled her into a bear hug, worse than the Doctor usually gave her.

"Rose, you're back! Listen, I'm really sorry I pulled out of the flat before you actually got back only Mike didn't want to wait any longer, he wanted me to move in and he got impatient so to make up for it, I paid two months on the flat for you and left the cupboards full. Did you have a good time? If I were you, I'd get an ad up for a flatmate soon as. We must get together and you can tell me if you met any fit Spanish blokes while you were there. A little bird told me you were only looking after your fave actor, how did you manage that? You lucky thing! Watch out for him though, he's a bit of a ladies man." Kay took a key out of her pocket and handed it to Rose, who took if from her with a 'thanks'

When Rose finally got out of the bear hug and managed to get a word in, at least some of the mysteries had been unravelled and the new make-up artist wasn't going to be a rival and this woman, Kay, seemed to know a lot about her, maybe she should ask her how old she was. "Hi, I knew you wouldn't wait until I got back, I should have had a bet on with you!" Rose joked. "Yeah, I'll put a notice up but perhaps I'll just stick on my own for a while since you were so generous and have the place to myself. I really did forget who I was looking after, what with the holiday and I thought he was just one of a few who I would be taking care of. Still, he's going to take a lot of my time up with all the changes he'll be doing."

Just then, she saw Jon coming into the dressing area and he looked over at her. "Speaking of which, he's just arrived so I'd best go and start looking after him or they'll get someone else to do it," she laughed.

After agreeing to catch up, she went into Jon's dressing room, being very careful to leave the door open and he smiled as he was sat at the dressing table and saw her come in. She didn't notice the blonde man watching her walk in with a jealous look on his face. They talked for a while, both pretending they hadn't actually gone out last night and she was wondering if he had forgotten about asking her out again. Numerous hairstyles later, a very excited Jon came off stage to the applause of everyone stood around, Rose thought he had been amazing, he was a natural and he gave a mock bow and then waved everyone off laughingly saying he wasn't the only one on stage and headed for his dressing room, followed by an awestruck Rose who had only seen glimpses of him during the last rehearsal and he'd looked amazing in his costumes.

As she entered, he was already behind the screen getting changed, talking excitedly about how he loved full dress rehearsals, coming out from behind the screen in the bright yellow t-shirt he had arrived in and what Rose had wickedly thought were too tight for him to be looking descent in jeans. Why couldn't he dress like that in the Tardis? "No, scratch that," she thought, as she went over to him, sitting himself down and waiting for her to take off his make-up, grinning at her through the mirror. If she had that train of thought if he dressed like that in the Tardis, they would never actually go anywhere, she would find excuses to get him to attend to parts of the ship that required him to lean over for no reason at all and spend all day just watching him. Why couldn't the Tardis have given him a more decent dress sense? She was not going to last three months at this rate, she would give in way before that.

She finished with his make-up and picked up the brush to get all the bits out that she had placed there for his last scene and asked if he was ok. He looked through the mirror at her and smiled and caught her hand.

"It's a buzz Rose, standing on the stage even though there were only a few in the audience, it still gets to you. You should have been out there watching." He saw her reaction. "Aw, sorry, you were looking after me, thanks." He squeezed her hand. "Can you just tie my hair back please? We are still going out tonight, aren't we? You haven't forgotten or anything, have you? Tell you what, I'll drop you off again, then you can get changed and I'll pick you up at seven, ok? Oh, and I forgot to get your phone number last night."

Rose nodded, he still had a lot of the old 'him' about him and he had been serious about going out again. He hadn't been kidding when he said he'd altered the conditions so he would fancy her, maybe though he was just hoping his feelings for her wouldn't run riot. "I'll give you my number later. Are you sure you don't want me to braid your hair, it won't take long?" He shook his head. She was just dying to run her fingers through it without fear of someone walking in on them.

She finished tying his hair back loosely so from the front you could hardly tell it was long and he surveyed himself in the mirror. "Looking good Rose, much better than a few days ago, thanks to you." He took her hand again as she was about to take it away after picking up a few stray hairs that had come loose and kissed the back of her hand. "I'm looking forward to tonight, it's going to be a while before we get another chance."

He let go of her hand and stood up. "So, I'm done here, you ready to leave? Not got anything else to do?"

"No, I've no-one else to see to, I'll just get my things, I'll meet you by the stage door, you may have fans waiting so you don't want to be seen with me anyway."

"Oh Rose, I don't mind being seen with you," he smiled, brushing a strand of her hair away from her face as he caught up with her, turning around and looking out to see if anyone was around and huffing when there were people still out there, taking his hand away fast. "Meet you in ten minutes then," allowing her through the door before him and going off in the opposite direction. Someone was indeed watching.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose stopped at her locker and took stock. He really was fancying her, the way he talked to her, like they had known each other a long time, not just met yesterday, how quick he had asked her out after only a few hours or was it the Tardis playing cupid? Then he was asking her out again although this would be their last actual date at night unless he asked her out on Sunday. It was like he had seen her and instantly latched onto her and didn't want to let go. Then she had a horrifying thought that what if somehow, deep down inside him, The Doctor was aware of what was going on in his sub-conscious and couldn't do anything about it, was letting this persona lead him on because he was powerless and was trapped but could just do enough to make sure he wasn't parted from her? She was worried about him now but even if it was true, he knew she would never leave him. She should know how that felt when she had been taken over, kissing him without being in control. She was going to have to pay a visit to the Tardis again before she went out with him and ask the ship a few questions.

She was just heading towards the stage door when the blonde man approached her again, she had learned his name was Mark and he attempted to corner her. "Rose, so how about tonight then?"

"Sorry, got a date tonight and please, stop asking me out because I'm only going to keep turning you down. I told you, there was a reason why I kept turning you down before, I'm just not interested in you, now excuse me please," she said, trying to get past him but he was blocking her way. "Do I have to call Security?" she asked.

He stepped aside begrudgingly and let her past much to her relief. She didn't want to have a rival for Jon's affections but now she was faced with making him jealous and she didn't even want it. He had said in his message he may look elsewhere if he thought she had a boyfriend, she would have to be honest with him and tell him that she was not interested in anyone else.

Rose could see as she approached the door that there were still a lot of people outside so she stood back until he came back in, grinning and asking the doorman to make sure they all left and get someone to call a taxi for him. It was already five and he'd said they were going out at seven, there wouldn't be much time to visit the Tardis, maybe it would have to wait until tomorrow. While they were waiting, they talked and joked with the doorman, who said that from the following night there would be extra security staff to go out with him while signing autographs and the area would be cleared before he left. Rose was beginning to think the doorman might get suspicious of them leaving together but a lot of the cast and staff always left together and as long as he didn't do anything stupid like try to kiss her in front of anyone who was around they should be relatively safe but there again, she didn't know exactly how things were going to go.

They got into the taxi when it arrived and were seen by Mark, who hung back inside as Jon helped her into the cab, putting his hand gently on her back as he did so then getting in after her.

After she had said goodbye to Jon, she barely had ninety minutes in which to get ready so visiting the Tardis was out of the question. She would just have to assume he was completely under the assumption he was a different person and forgive her when it was all over, after all, it wasn't her fault he had a hidden desire for her, he should have come forward and told her. Maybe she shouldn't go easy on him, up to a point that is. No, it was still draw a line and never cross it or nothing. She had yet to decide where she was going to put that line and not keep moving the goalposts every time, decide how far she was willing to let him take it. It was his fault really, telling her not to let it go too far, how far was too far anyway, he'd not set out any guidelines how far he wanted her to let him go, he said he wanted to show her he could be like any other Human male.

She got into the shower and thought about what her ex flatmate had said, about getting someone to share but that wasn't a good idea, she figured it would all sort itself out once this was all over so there was no point. Then she thought about Jon, she had to pretend she knew who he was, there was only so much information about him she could have learned from the internet and he was supposed to be a private person, never letting his personal life be discussed in public so that helped. She wondered what kind of story had been invented for him, knowing the Tardis could be a mischief when she wanted to be.

She wondered just how far the Tardis could communicate with her, if she had to be actually inside to talk to her. She turned off the shower and got dried, deciding what to wear. Whenever she was on the ship, if she wanted or needed something it would be provided for her without her even asking, the ship could predict what it was, like moving her room nearer when they had got back tired or soaking wet or something drastic had happened. She closed her eyes and tried to see if she could communicate from where she was, the ship was just at the back of the building so she reached out, blocking everything else but no, perhaps she wasn't strong enough yet, she would have to get the Doctor to teach her, if he was still talking to her after this was over.

She hadn't realised what time it was, they didn't exactly run to a schedule in the Tardis so she hurriedly got dressed, choosing something a bit more revealing than last night but she chickened out and put a scarf around her neck and waited for her date to arrive. That was strange, he hardly ever called for her before, sometimes he rang her to say he was ready to go but not actually 'calling' for her, not like now. Her doorbell rang and at the last second she took off the scarf and answered as he asked if he could come in. Thinking better of it, she let him in and he knocked on her door and on opening it, found he had a bunch of flowers which he handed to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek and invited himself in. Oh well, some things never really changed she supposed as he looked around, Rose hoping nothing was out of place, she didn't even know if half of was hers or not. She took the flowers to the kitchen and put them in a vase, bringing them out and putting them on the coffee table.

"I'll just get my jacket then," Rose said, as Jon looked at the scarf on the coffee table, then noticed her dress and she thought he was probably thinking he was glad she had decided not to wear it.

To her embarrassment, he picked it up and asked her if she was going to wear it. "Was he psychic or what?" she wondered. "No, I decided it didn't really go with this dress after all," she smiled as she took her jacket from the hallway. "Ready when you are," she called out as she walked back into the living room, putting her jacket on, to find him staring at her.

He walked towards her to help her with the other sleeve and sneaked another kiss on her cheek, noting her perfume. "Right then, I was recommended a restaurant just outside town and I've hired a car now to save getting taxis all the time, had it delivered this afternoon to the hotel," he grinned. "Must get a parking spot at the theatre sorted out, do you know how I do that Rose?" he asked.

Rose was thinking this was really bad, did he even know how to drive? Obviously Jonathan knew how to drive, he must have driven at some point before he changed. "No, sorry, I don't drive but if you take it where all the other cars are, you just might have to get a permit or something. Ring the theatre in the morning and ask," she suggested helpfully.

He helped her into a car, a nice car, a car befitting an actor anyway and he set off, following the satnav to the restaurant which was about a twenty minute drive and was way out of town and looked very exclusive, he was dressed in a light grey suit but his red tie was a bit much, she had thought and was really glad his hair was neatly tied up from when she had done it earlier or they might not let him in. The restaurant looked very popular and she hoped he'd made a reservation and when they entered, the head waiter was standing at a small table and recognised Jon and said for them to go right in. Rose had to smile, usually the physic paper got them into places but she reckoned she could get used to this, getting in somewhere legitimately for a change.

As with the previous evening, he gave his full attention to her, he was talking about all the plays he had been in and the radio work he had done, a whole life and career had been fabricated for him, it seemed almost real to her, everyone else believed it, she was the only person in the world who knew he wasn't for real and it was getting really un-nerving and she was beginning to think that The Doctor was a character he had been playing. She knew that wasn't true, he hadn't looked like he did now all that long, only since Christmas.

She made her excuses to go to the ladies room before they left and they set off back towards the town, Jon was making her laugh as they drove, telling her about a voice-over ad he had done and they soon arrived back at Rose's flat. He insisted on walking her to the front door and asked if she was going to invite him in. She thought "Why not, no harm in it," so she opened the door.

"So, do you want to come in for tea, coffee?" she asked, standing in the entryway as he put his arm around her neck and moved the same strand of hair away as he had earlier, which Rose thought meant he was going to attempt something earlier, then as he brushed it away, kissing her cheek again.

"Mmm, tea would be great, tea is good for you, if you drink coffee late at night it keeps you awake. Oh, maybe I should have coffee then," he grinned, as he tried to kiss her cheek again as she opened her door and missed, catching her ear which made her tingle. "You smell nice," he continued, as he tried again, this time hitting his mark. "So, do you live on your own then? No flatmate? Seems rather a large flat for one person."

"Had a flatmate, she left while I was on holiday but she was moving out anyway. I'll have to advertise for someone to share. I'll put a notice up on the board at the theatre and take one down to the other theatre. It's easier getting someone in the same line of work with the awkward hours, then no-one gets disturbs when you come in late."

Rose put her purse and keys on a side table by the coat stand and started to take her jacket off, with some help from Jon who was only too pleased to oblige as he took the opportunity to stare at her cleavage again, Rose wishing she had worn that scarf after all when he had been doing it most of the evening. He made himself at home, sprawling in the chair as Rose went to make a drink, thinking he would be safer drinking tea or he might be here all night. He was behaving like his old self again, the same personality, just like it carrying over from his regeneration but adding new things to it, there was so much of the old him in this latest version of him.

She took a tray in and sat down on the sofa, pouring tea and placing a mug in front of him. Not surprisingly, he got up and took the tea then he looked over in her direction and moving over in the chair, patted the empty space saying, "Why are you still sitting over there? It's much more cosy over here."

It was something they sometimes did in the Tardis when reading or watching a film, they would curl up on the sofa together, sometimes if they were watching a scary movie she would bury her head in him and make him tell her when it was over. This reminded her of those time and missing the old him already, she took her cup and went over to him, squeezing into the space as he put his arm around her, brushing her cheek with his finger. 

 

"I really like your perfume, it makes you smell like real roses," he whispered in her ear as he started to nibble on it and Rose was having butterflies doing somersaults in her tummy as he did so.

The ear nibbling got a little more intense as he started down the side of her neck, kissing it softly and saying, "Tell me if you want me to stop," he said softly as he continued down to her shoulder. She didn't want him to but she was having a hard time convincing herself otherwise.

He got to her shoulder and she moved suddenly, breaking his contact with her. He looked at her and asked if he was going to fast for her.

"No, I'm going too fast for me, it's not you. I hardly know you and this is really nice, I had a great time tonight and last night. It's just we're going to be working together for the next three months and I don't want things to get awkward between us if I let things get too out of hand. I don't want you hating me for getting the wrong idea about you."

He looked at her, brushing her hair back again and kissing her cheek. "Oh Rose, things could never get awkward, I really like you and you aren't going to let things get out of hand because although you might think otherwise, I really want to get to know you better before it comes to that stage. I know it will be difficult working together but we have the mornings and early afternoons and we won't be getting out of the theatre that late, then there are Sundays, all that time to get to know each other. We can try anything, if you want, we have three months of getting to know each other." He kissed her cheek again, then put his finger to his lips, then placed it on hers.

Rose almost melted at the gesture, kissing his finger in response as he moved it aside and kissed her lips lightly, just like he had done before he became Human. It was almost as though he remembered some things. Yeah, three months and if he was to remain Human, what then, would he go off and leave her? Better not dwell on that, it was never going to happen but he might talk about it so she had to prepared. She wasn't going to bring up the subject unless he did first.

She kissed him back and waited to see what would happen. He didn't try anything else, he just kissed her again and touched her cheek. Then she remembered her low cut dress and wished she had worn something else but he never tried to touch her, he just looked at her. "I think I'd better go now," he said, moving away from her and taking her hand that she hadn't realised she had rested on his chest as she had pulled away. She moved it and he took hold of it and kissed the back of it. "Can we meet for breakfast, say nine, in the café across from the theatre? That's if you want to be seen outside the theatre in daylight with me?" he asked, letting go of her hand and getting up.

Rose nodded but remained in the chair and he held his hand out to pull her up, taking the opportunity to put his arm around her as they walked to the door. "I'd like that yeah, I'll see you then. Thanks again for a lovely evening Jon, I did enjoy it." She was going to kiss his cheek again but gave him another light kiss on the lips to keep him interested.

"Oh, better give me you phone number before I forget," he said as she opened the door, taking his phone out, which looked strange to Rose, she didn't think the Doctor would have much use for one. She was about to speak when he held it up to her and said "smile" as he took her photo. She asked what he had done that for. "To put on your phone number so when you ring, I'll know it's you," he grinned as he handed her the phone to put her number into it. When she handed it back, he saved the number and added the photo and showed it to her, pleased with himself.

"Yeah, well that's really good Jon except I don't have your number," she laughed as it suddenly dawned on him that could be a problem and he laughed as he took her phone. "Wait, I want to take a photo of you as well," she said as he gave her a big smile. She handed him her phone to put his number in, the number that millions of fans would love to have no doubt!

"Right, best be off then, busy day tomorrow, opening night, have to get everything just right, I love opening night!" he said, leaning in for another quick kiss before he left.

Rose was determined they were going to keep it that way for the time being, as long as she could but she had two obstacles, he might get fed up or he might get jealous and she didn't want either of them to happen. She was going to have to give enough back to keep him from doing either. It was strange, he spoke exactly the same but with the long hair and no sideburns, she thought it was as though he should have a different voice.

"Night Rose, see you for breakfast then," he said as she saw him to the front door and he kissed her again, this time she noticed was a bit longer.

The next morning, Rose was up bright and early, planning on paying a visit to the Tardis, she needed to find out how old she was supposed to be for one and just how far she was expected to go with this. She couldn't work out why she had no ID, unless the ship thought it was best she didn't have any just in case. She greeted the ship and tried to make a link with her, asking questions she had thought up from last night, like how to keep him interested, just enough and looked through his message again in case she had missed anything but she hadn't. He thought he had made it easy by being attracted to her without any work on her part but it never occurred to him that she would attract other males and would he still seek other company if he saw her talking to someone else? She had to tell him that if someone was talking to her, she wasn't interested.

She left the ship in enough time to walk to the café, she was surprised he'd not called for her and he hadn't rung her. She walked into the café to see him sitting near the back and he waved to her. She placed her order and he asked what time she was going to work and if she would show him again how to wash his hair. Rose laughed, she knew he'd never be able to do it so she had to take pity on him and say for him to be in at two, before most of the other's came in so he wouldn't be on show again.

Rose had some shopping to do so she said goodbye to him and he said he'd see her at the theatre, unless she wanted a lift but she declined, saying it wasn't a good idea to be seen arriving together.

"We leave together so what's the difference?" he asked, seemingly rather hurt she had turned him down. "I take it there are no new rules about the cast and staff members seeing each other outside the theatre are they?" he asked innocently.

Rose didn't actually know, another uncertainty. It wasn't fair, he knew everything he was supposed to, why didn't she? The Tardis had been taking sides. She took a gamble and hoped there wasn't such a rule since Mark had tried to chat her up twice, she assumed she was right. "No, not unless they made any while I was away," she smiled. Anyway, it would save her another walk so she decided to accept. "Well, ok then, pick me up at two, I have some things I need to do first, thanks. See you then."

They walked to the door, Jon paid the bill, that was a novelty, Rose had thought, they normally paid by psychic paper or left before the bill arrived on some planets and after kissing her on the cheek, Rose went off in search of what she needed, hoping there was a supermarket in the town and it wasn't tucked away somewhere she didn't know.

Two on the dot, her doorbell rang and after letting him in, he surprised her by asking if she could show him how to do his hair before they went to the theatre and she didn't know what to say. Trying to think of a valid excuse but not coming up with any, she had to agree. It would be better to do it in the dressing room but after being watched the other day, she couldn't really blame him but he would have to learn to do it himself. She led him to the bathroom and got some clean towels and began to show him after wrapping a towel around his shoulders. He came up with a better idea and wanted to take his t-shirt off but Rose wasn't having any of it – not yet anyway and insisted he left it on. Certain he was sulking, she proceeded to explain the best way of doing it and leaving him to rinse the shampoo, whether he wet the collar of his t-shirt on purpose or not, Rose couldn't decide but she still giggled when he came up with wet hair and an equally wet t-shirt and they both laughed as he towelled his hair and tried to dry the t-shirt.

There was only one solution, to put it in the tumble dryer for a while so he had to take it off after all and Rose was sure he had done it on purpose as he followed her out of the bathroom into the kitchen and when she turned around, he'd already taken it off and was handing it to her, a big grin on his face. Eventually, she combed his hair and watched as he attempted to tie it back, not making such a bad job of it once he got the hang of it and he seemed quite pleased with the results. It was a bit looser than she had put it but it did the job. One less thing for her to worry about, or so she thought. He sat at the kitchen table grinning at her as she made some tea.

His t-shirt dry, they set off for the theatre and he went straight to his dressing room to read through some of his lines, he didn't want anything going wrong but Rose got called over by Mary, who seemed to be in charge of all the backstage activities.

"Rose, I need a word with you. I know you have to attend to Jon when he's on stage but you shouldn't spend too much time alone in his dressing room and if you do, you need to make sure the door is left open. You know what backstage gossip is like, so just bare that in mind will you?"

Rose had to agree, she couldn't afford to get kicked out, then he would be left to fend for himself inside the theatre. "I'm in there for the time necessary and the door is always open. Anyway what's wrong, no-one use to bother before and I've seen loads of the cast talking to staff but I'll keep it in mind. Has something changed while I've been away, only nothing was said before when I was getting chatted up by members of the cast, which I didn't welcome by the way and the last two days I've been bothered again by the same male actor despite my telling him I wasn't interested in him."

"Then tell me who it is and I'll get someone to have words with him. We all have to work together Rose, if you have problem you should say something but when people sneak around, going in and out of dressing rooms and staying longer than they should, it fuels all kinds of rumours. It's best if you get involved with someone, you keep it professional whilst working and don't hide or deny the fact you're seeing each other. I know it keeps everyone amused to guess who's going out with who but it's best to be up front about it. This is one of the longest productions we've put on so it's going to be more difficult to resist seeing other members out of hours, so to speak and it will happen. If you feel uncomfortable with someone asking you out, you only have to say."

She didn't want to reveal just yet who had been asking her out but she hoped by seeing her with Jon, leaving together, he might get the hint. At least there was no opposition to her seeing Jon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter/s will be more mature as Rose Deals with her emotions as she tries to keep him interested enough without letting him go too far and how she copes with her own needs as she falls deeper in love with him as Jon and sees more and more of The Doctor in him as a Human.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to hot up in this chapter as Rose tries to keep Jon interested so he doesn't back away.

The time arrived for everyone to gather in the rehearsal room for a last minute run through, any problems that needed to be ironed out amongst other things. Rose had said nothing to Jon while she was getting him ready, they had just talked about the play and his favourite lines and scenes. There was forty five minutes to the start and Jon insisted Rose came into his dressing room. He wanted to close the door but Rose opened again and he asked what was wrong.

"Nothing, it's just well, Mary mentioned that it wasn't a good idea for us to stay in the dressing rooms with the doors closed, she said it leads to gossip, so we had best just keep it open unless…." She trailed off, wondering if she was assuming to much. He saw her worried look.

"Rose, it's ok, there's nothing to gossip about – yet. Let them, I don't mind, it's you I'm worried about. I don't want you to be uncomfortable if people try to guess if we're seeing each other or not. So, the door stays open and we let people see us together, that's if you want to be seen with me." He kissed her forehead, making sure they were out of sight and was just about to leave when he said, "Rose, wish me luck. Kiss me, properly this time."

"What about your makeup, I'll have to do it again," she smiled.

"Well be quick then, stop wasting time, come here" and took hold of her and kissed her, properly, leaving her breathless as he let her go.

She had to re-apply his makeup - fast while still recovering from the kiss. "That was some kiss," she said. Jon just grinned.

The performance was a success, Jon had several encores and it looked to Rose like he enjoyed every second of it. There was a lot of buzz backstage afterwards, drinks and nibbles were being served as everyone talked about it and the following night was going to be press night so she would have to stay out of any photos in case her mother saw them or she would be wanting all their autographs and asking how she got such a job. She would have to talk to Jon, explain why she had to stay out of the press but he probably didn't want it any more than she did. She wandered into his dressing room, he'd got changed and was trying to rub some make-up off, looking up and putting the pad down like he'd just been told off. She finished what he'd been doing and said he'd best go and sign autographs. He left to go face the army of fans who had been waiting patiently outside and she was just gathering her things when she was approached by Mark again but this time she was ready for him, not getting cornered and she admitted she was seeing Jon, well Mary had said don't keep any secrets.

"There's no point in asking me out, I'm already seeing someone so just leave me alone," she said as he asked her again. "I have to go, he's waiting for me."

"You mean Jon, I saw you leave with him yesterday. If you change your mind, let me know if you get tired of him, there's still three months to go," he said casually and walked off.

Rose thought "Then he wonders why I won't go out with him, he's a spoiled brat who thinks he can pick up anyone he wants, well he's out of luck this time," as she walked towards the stage door to see Jon just coming back in.

"Ready to go home? It should be clear outside in a few minutes but security will walk out with us, it's starting to rain, just for a change," he laughed.

He drove them back to Rose's flat and they both got out and Jon assumed he was going to be let in as she opened the door and she didn't tell him no. It was going to be a long three months so she was going to have to show some interest, but slowly, let things progress on a slow burner, not rush into things. After making some tea and some toast, Jon sat on the chair again. He had put the TV on, watching the news and Rose was getting tired and hoped he wasn't going to watch it all night or she was going to leave him to watch it. She needn't have worried as he drank the tea and finished off the toast, then got up and sat next to her on the sofa, putting his arm around her and leaned over to kiss her.

"Rose, you know it's press night tomorrow night? Well if you don't want to have your name in the papers, best leave separately. Get a taxi and I'll meet you here. They won't be backstage until after the performance but we'll just act normally. You ok with that?" he asked as he stroked her cheek.

"Yeah, seen a few press nights! They only come for the free drinks really," she joked, taking his hand and holding it. She knew enough to stay out of the way of any cameras in the vicinity of Jon for the evening. "I didn't get chance to tell you when you came off stage but I thought you were amazing tonight, you looked like you really were the king."

She kissed his cheek and untied his hair, fingering it and letting it hang loose over his face. He touched her cheek and leaned in to kiss her, softly at first then pressing harder. He broke away saying, "Rose, I really want to kiss you properly, just like earlier but for longer." He touched her lips lightly then pressed even deeper than before as she kissed him back.

Rose didn't know what else to do. She had to keep him interested in her but it was going to escalate very quickly if she wasn't careful. "Jon, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you want, Rose. Oh, I'm still going too fast for you aren't I? I'm sorry, I don't mean to it's just the kiss back in the theatre was the first proper one you gave me and I thought, well, thought we both were ready for a little more of the same, maybe even for longer periods but if you're not, that's fine, we can still take this slowly if you want, we have plenty of time. I just want to make you happy. I know you got a little nervous back there, someone warn you off?"

"Not warn as such, just friendly advice but there is one thing, one of the other actor's, well he's been here before and he asked me out, which I turned down but he's started asking me again and I don't want to give you the wrong idea, I don't like him but if he comes over and asks me again, which I've told him not to, I don't want you to think I'm even considering going out with him because I'm not. I told him I was going out with someone but he knew it was you because he saw us leaving the theatre together."

"Well, if he bothers you again, you just tell me, right?" He leaned to kiss her again, putting both his arms around her as she did the same and soon, their kisses were lasting longer and longer as Rose melted into his lips, her ideals of taking it slow fading fast but she was only trying to achieve her goal, keep him like this for a bit longer. He pushed her back onto the cushions and leaned down over her, the kisses intensifying. A million things were going through her mind, why he'd not done this while he was his old self being amongst them.

It was after one in the morning before he finally said he should really go, never even asking if he could stay. They arranged to meet for breakfast again and spend the morning together, Jon wanted to look round the different tourist attraction, saying not to worry about him being recognised and he was right because when she walked into the café the next morning, she hardly recognised him herself. He was dressed in jeans, a hooded top and wore glasses reminiscent of the one's he wore when he wanted to look brainy in the Tardis though Rose sometimes thought he just put them out of habit. He waved to her and she went to join him.

He made a joke about it getting to be habit meeting there as they ordered breakfast, asking her where she wanted to go afterwards and joking again that Rose should have already have visited them since she lived there. She said she used to live in London but that didn't mean she had been to Buckingham Palace and Jon laughed. They walked around for a while, he was taking photos of a famous landmark and the exhibition they had gone in to see and it was lunchtime before they realised. After lunch, they made their way to the theatre, Rose getting Jon's hair washed before most of the others came in, not wetting his t-shirt this time and they went into his dressing room, Rose making sure the door was open again but before she knew it, he had closed it to, just enough for some privacy and they began kissing, Rose was running her fingers through his long hair as he pushed her up against the door, the kisses getting deeper until the door finally closed to.

Suddenly, Rose could feel someone was trying to open the door and when it didn't move, a knock came upon the door. Jon broke the kiss, took hold of her waist and moved her to one side, putting his finger on his lips to shush her and asked who it was and indicating to Rose to go stand by his dressing table with a brush in her hand. Rose had to suppress a giggle and Jon had a big grin on his face but dropped it when he opened the door to find the assistant director making his way in, first looking at Jon then at Rose, who by now was well out of Jon's reach and standing over her make-up basket on his dressing table.

When asked what was wrong with the door, Jon admitted he had inadvertently closed it whilst talking to Rose about his hair and make-up changes during the scenes, hoping it was a valid enough reason. It seemed to be.

"Yes, ok then Jon, it's easily done but we are introducing an open door policy on the principal actor's dressing rooms so perhaps you'll remember that. Rose, I'm glad you're already here, this applies to you as well."

Rose thought they were going to get a lecture about not sneaking in and out of the theatre together and definitely one on her being alone with him in his dressing room but it wasn't about that. Rose breathed a sigh of relief and was sure Jon was as well. The way he had grinned at them almost being caught kissing was just like old times when they had been caught on numerous occasion in places they shouldn't really have been and the Doctor had talked them out of it.

The assistant director went on about some changes they wanted to make before too many performances had been played and people came back to see it again, just a few subtle changes starting the following evening, not tonight with it being press night, obviously, he'd said.

Satisfied Rose and Jon were not hiding anything by looking at the two of them, he said he would see Jon on stage later and said goodbye to Rose but as he was going out, he turned around and said to Jon, "Oh, and the next time you're talking to Rose, make it less obvious you weren't just talking and don't take as long answering the door. I really don't mind but don't make it a regular habit, try and keep it for outside the theatre." He smiled at Rose, who was turning red and make a point of closing the door to on his way out.

Rose started laughing, Jon asking what was so funny until he too smiled as he walked towards her. Rose was relieved she had not been told to keep her relationship out of the theatre altogether but they were going to have to be more careful but getting Jon to put that into practice was going to be another matter and she couldn't jeopardise her job. As she was thinking that, he began kissing her again and after, when they stopped for breath, he saw the worried look on her face.

"Aw Rose, we didn't actually get caught and if we do, so what? Don't worry, I won't let you lose your job over it, I'll take full responsibility for it, tell them I initiated it. Besides, if you promise to make it worth my while, I'll keep the kissing in the dressing room to a minimum if you let me come back to your place every night for more, although it's more exciting here, the risk of someone walking in and catching you, what do you think? Maybe you could just kiss me good luck before I go on stage then afterwards, then we can take it back to your place. Unless of course you want to stop altogether?"

Rose gave him her answer by grabbing hold of him and saying, " I'll show you what I think of that," as she began to show off her snogging skills, just a taster to tease him.

She let him go and said, "Does that answer your question," she grinned, letting him go as he had a dazed look on his face which turned into a grin.

"Well, I guess it does and you can give me a lesson in snogging later," he smiled as he put his arms around her waist. "I have to get ready now, in case you've forgotten?" he smiled, kissing her forehead.

Press night was a complete success, the actors were being interviewed one by one, Rose keeping well out of sight when Jon was approached although he seemed quite at home answering their questions. After taking his make-up off in the communal dressing area, she tied his hair back and asked if there was anything else before she left, bring careful not to be alone with him while reporters were still around and as he had said no, she left him to go back to his dressing room, trying to suppress the urge to follow him but they had already agreed earlier he would go straight to her flat when he could get away. Rose braved the crowds outside and felt she should tell them he wouldn't be out to sign autographs tonight but there were notices posted by the stage door and security was around, they would escort him to his car. She rang for a taxi and hoped she wouldn't have long to wait so that he wouldn't come out at the same time.

Once she got back to her flat, she had a few minutes to stop and think just how she was going to avoid the ultimate question, that of him asking to stay the night. It wasn't that she hadn't spent lots of evenings in the Tardis with him, watching TV or reading or just being silly but it never got romantic, the most it got was a hug and a peck on the cheek goodnight. He said he didn't need to sleep as much as she did but what about now? Was he sleeping more like a Human? What if she let him stay? That would sooner or later lead to more than just sleeping, she might be able to hold him off for a few nights but how long would he be prepared to wait? She could tell him she was nervous about it, he might understand, take things easy but how to approach the subject without telling him it could never happen?

No matter how much she would want to give in, she knew she couldn't, even though he had told her before it all began that if it did, he would be alright with it. Well he might be, but how would she cope with it? Go back to pretending she didn't have feelings for him if they developed more? There had been plenty of times she wanted to kiss him but she had thought letting him be Human would make him realise but she had not reckoned on this happening so quickly. She had expected to go out with him yes but since working late there wasn't exactly a whole lot of time for going out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the intercom on the front door and heard his voice when she answered. He greeted her with a kiss as she let him in and she asked him how the interviews had gone as he flopped down into the chair. She thought he looked tired, his Timelord physiology might give him boundless energy but as a Human, he had his limits. She made some tea and took it into him as he patted the chair for her to sit with him and as she joined him he leaned her back to kiss her again, then burying his head into her neck as he kissed it. Putting her arms around his neck, she asked if he was ok. He reached to pick up his drink as Rose did the same.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. Wait until you see me all over the papers tomorrow Rose, it makes it all worthwhile. Then when they come in with all the cameras for the live broadcast, it's going to be screened all over the world, not just the audience in the theatre. Just think, all those people watching at the same time, wow!" He lifted his head to kiss her again and stopped.

Rose didn't know about the live broadcast, when was that happening? How was he going to explain going away now? To simply slip away from the theatre, announce he was going into something else but going global then disappearing? That was going to take some doing, even for the old him and the Tardis. There again, how had he managed to get himself established to start with? Just appear and everyone knows instantly who he is with a complete history? The Tardis must have gone back and planted it all to make it appear he had a real life but taking it away again, that was going to be something entirely different.

She had to admit she knew nothing about the broadcast, blame it on her holiday. "Oh, when's that going to happen? I don't remember hearing that, they must have come up with that while I was away. That's going to be exciting, have you ever done anything like that before?" she asked.

"Well, no actually but it will just be like playing to the normal audience, the cameras will be out of the way and we probably won't even notice. So, how did you not know it's going to be shown live, all over the world Rose? Oh, did they think you didn't need to know? Maybe they haven't told everyone yet then, best keep it quiet, sssh! I'll have to think of a way of keeping you quiet then, come here," he said as he leaned in to kiss her again, this time more deeply and he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Rose was wondering when he'd learned to do that. Did he sneakily look up Human dating rituals before he changed? Either that or the Tardis did and planted it in him, she was a mischief!

Rose responded to him, reaching to put her tongue into his mouth as it got more intense. This was no different than snogging the boys at school, well when she found someone she actually fancied but suddenly, she felt his hand sneak up her back to her bra fastener and she clasp his hand and pulled it back around, she wasn't letting him get too far ahead of himself, she had to stretch these activities out, one thing at a time and it was going to be a few nights before she let him get that far.

He pulled his tongue out of her mouth and kissed her, then looked at her, pushing a strand of hair back. "Rose, what's wrong? Why did you stop me? I thought we might have moved on to this, you let me tongue you just now, don't you want more? Oh, I get it, taking it slowly aren't we and you're sticking to it? Right, slow it is, the slow path but to make it more fun, you can do anything you want to me, well, when I say anything, I mean there is a limit, well when I say limit, I mean 'The' limit actually, well, you know what I mean and since you don't seem to want to go there - yet, I can't see that 'The' limit applies."

Rose couldn't believe just how 'Doctorish' he was sounding just now and she adored it when he got all flustered and tried to worm out of what he had actually said. A few days into this 'Human' life and he had hardly changed, so much of the old him still existed. Still, it was better than having a complete stranger to deal with, at least there were familiar things about him and probably the Tardis had thought it best to keep it that way. Dealing with both their feelings was going to be bad enough so having one less thing to contend with was a good thing.

After considering for a few moments, kissing his neck to keep him interested while she did, she realised there were lots of things she could do to him to keep him from getting suspicious that she didn't actually want to go the whole way but how long could she keep him occupied? She would have to make some sacrifices. There was also the option of claiming it was getting late, which it was now, they had met later than last night with the press conference keeping him later at the theatre but that was a poor excuse since she didn't really have to get up early. That was one advantage of starting work in the afternoon but not tomorrow, Saturday there were two performances and they had to be there early.

While she was kissing his neck, he was trying to kiss hers further round and had put his hand on her bare back under her top and resting it on the fastener of her bra, just in case she changed her mind she supposed. Well he was going to have to wait for another night along with everything else but she supposed he would get frustrated if she left it too long. At least with a normal male she would know where she was but with him, well it was uncharted territory for him. If he had ever been Human before, he had not admitted it but he seemed to know that he could and may have considered it in the past.

The neck kissing got lower down on his part as he moved her top to kiss her shoulder, turning her slightly so she was against the chair arm, she could live with that, at least he wasn't asking any more questions so she did the same, moving on the cushion to get a better angle and daring to put her hand up the back of his t-shirt, which seemed to please him as he did the same to her, it was keeping him away from the destination he wanted to reach, judging by the way his fingers had now slipped under her bra fastener. She was debating to maybe just let him unfasten it as long as he didn't reach his actual goal and she kept her top on.

Sure enough, she felt him moving his fingers to try and fumble rather clumsily with the fastener, well he was definitely out of practice on that count, she'd had boyfriends who always got it first time without even looking in the past. Then he got the hang of it and the fastener came away, although give him his dues, he was doing it one handed, she had to give him points for that. Her bra came loose as his hand moved across her back, pulling it away, he'd moved his other hand so the were both on her back as he pulled her more on top of him as she moved her legs over so she was pressing against his chest, both his hands moving up and down her back, one getting dangerously close to her breast but it was still covered.

They kissed some more, she had managed somehow to get both her hands on his back, pulling his t-shirt up at the back, he'd noticed as he pulled her top up at the back, his hands now on her shoulder blades as the kisses deepened and she pressed into his chest. He moved one hand and managed to pull his t-shirt up at the front then the moment she had dreaded as his hand wandered to try to pull her top up at the front but she only let him go so far as it wasn't above her waist as she moved one hand to stop him. He broke their kiss as he looked at her and grinned as if to say she couldn't blame him for trying, then he resumed his kiss and put his hand back with his other, pulling her even closer to him so she could feel her breasts pressing against him as they moved and her bra was getting looser, almost like he was doing it on purpose but her top was still covering her, maybe not for much longer though as the material was riding up and she instinctively shifted her position to make it go back down again only to have him move again so it was in danger of going up all the way.

The mood was intensifying even more as he moved her back so he could lean over her, one hand moving from her back as he put it on her bare tummy as somehow the material had ridden back up, sliding it up her top. She quickly grabbed his hand, stopping it just below her bra that had come loose, his hand tangled with hers as their kiss got deeper until his hand, being stronger, got from under her hand and felt under her loose bra and a quiver went through her as he touched her breast, just for a few moments, causing her to break the kiss. She smiled at him and fought his hand, moving it away as he grinned back at her.

"Aw, Rose, you're really a spoilsport, it was just getting to the good bit," he said, probably quite pleased he had managed to get this far on the first attempt and seemed quite satisfied, gingerly pulling her bra back down and touching her breast again, on purpose, Rose was thinking as she moved his hand again and pulled her t-shirt down, looking up at him and smiling.

"Yeah, well, that was quite a result for your first attempt although you struggled with the fastener, you out of practice?" she laughed, raising herself up slightly and brushing his hand away, which he put back where it had been previously and pulled her back into a kiss before she had chance to say anything else.

As she broke from the kiss, he moved his hand again, she thought he was going to try again and was about to tap it when he pulled his other hand away from her back and pulled his t-shirt from the back and lifted it over his head. Rose couldn't help but admire his bare chest with the smattering of hair and couldn't resist putting one hand on it, Jon took hold of her hand and pressed it into his chest as she moved her fingers, trying to resist against his other hand that was making another attempt to make its way up the front of her top as he widened the gap between them but she caught it just in time as a finger found its target and he grinned again.

"Ok, you win, for now. It's getting late, I should go. Do you want to meet for breakfast, then we can go straight to the theatre afterwards?" he asked as he put his t-shirt back on, just as Rose was admiring the view.

Rose had got up, reluctantly to let him put his t-shirt on but it was getting late and she would have to be working a double performance the next day. "They'll be starting to talk about us in the café at this rate you know," she laughed, turning around and asking him to fasten her bra, which he did rather better than unfasten it now he could see what he was actually doing but not before he kissed her shoulder.

He turned her around and kissed her again. "This was a really pleasant experience Rose, sorry for it being so late when I got here. How about tomorrow night, no work on Sunday, perhaps we can go out for the day, if you want? Maybe tomorrow night, you'll let me stay a bit longer? Actually, since you have a spare room, I was wondering if you'd let me stay? I swear Rose, I wouldn't come into your room uninvited then on Sunday we could have breakfast here then go out. You can say no. I could help you pay some of the bills, help you sort things out. I could pay half the rent or all the rent, you've got an empty room and it will be much better than staying in a hotel for the rest of the time."


	5. Chapter 5

Rose thought about it. "I'll have to think about it, I'll let you know tomorrow. It's not that I don't trust you but I'm not used to sharing a flat with a bloke," she smiled. Actually, that was a bit of a lie but she couldn't let on about her real life. "Actually, the rent's paid but you could help me sort out the other bill's when they arrive but the name needs changing on them and I'm useless with things like that. Let me sleep on it and I'll decide by morning."

"Ok, that's fair enough. I'll see you in the morning then. Hope the hotel hasn't locked all the doors," he laughed, as he opened the door and Rose followed him. "Shall we meet at ten, since it's late?" he asked quietly. Rose nodded and he leaned down to kiss her goodnight. "I really enjoyed earlier." He opened the door and Rose watched him get in his car, waving to him as he drove off.

It was strange driving around with him, even stranger watching him drive away. She couldn't shake the feeling that he must have driven during his time on Earth because even a Timelord would find it difficult to just get behind the wheel of a car and drive off like that. While she had ridden on the back of a scooter with him when they had gone back to the 50's, it was still different to driving a car. That meant he had a valid driving licence and everything. Maybe she should try to get a look at it to see where he was supposed to live.

That was something, he must have a proper address to get a driving licence so that meant somewhere he was supposed to have a flat or a house but who looked after it while he was away? She was going to have to get him to tell her more, ask him what he intended doing once the play finished. Was he going on to another play or going home for a while and most importantly, what were his intentions towards her? That was of course if he was going to remain Human, which he wasn't anyway so it didn't matter but what would Jonathan Smyth do about her once the play was finished? Would he just leave her and go away or promise to look her up when he came back in two or three years time or would he offer to let her go with him?

These were burning questions and she had to find a way to bring them up so she knew where she was, especially if something went dreadfully wrong and the watch wasn't opened for some reason, although she had his permission to force him to open it but if the watch was lost or stolen and he couldn't change back, did the Tardis have a contingency plan for such an event? Surely the Tardis would intervene if such a thing happened, if he couldn't change back or did the ship assume that if he didn't return it meant he was done as a Timelord and would power herself down? She thought back to her first Doctor when he had tried to send her home from the games station, telling her to let the ship get buried over time, was that what she was meant to do in such an event he couldn't change back? If he couldn't then she was going to be responsible for him, it had been her idea, just like when they thought they had been left without the Tardis and were offered a lift by the crew on the Sanctuary Base they had recently left. The Doctor was prepared to look after her for stranding her, it was the least she could do for him but only if he would let her.

She was left with very little choice as to what to do in such an event. Safeguard the watch or be responsible for him as a Human. She daren't even get the watch out of its hiding place, somewhere hopefully if the worst ever happened and someone broke in, they would never find it even if they wrecked the place and getting it out of its hiding place, Jon might see it if he called unexpectedly and ask what it was. She had a plan that in such an event, which would be extremely rare, she would say it was her dad's and was all she had left of him but since she never intended to remove anyway, the excuse would never be used.

She climbed into bed, thinking back at what had taken place over the last hour or so, it had been pleasant to say the least, she could go for his taking his t-shirt off and definitely go for more of the kissing and but wasn't sure about him taking hers off, just yet. Just four days into their three months and it had already come to this.

The next morning, she just had time to pay a visit to the Tardis, she wouldn't be able to go the next day with Jon around and if she let him stay tonight, he would surely start making a habit of it. Still, it kept him close and she did have a spare room and he could share some of the bills which would soon be arriving but in whose name would they be? When they arrived, she was going to have to ring up and get them changed but how? She might need ID and she didn't have any.

Then it struck her, Jon had ID, he must have a driving licence, he had a whole history, including a birthday, where he was born, everything. Ah! That's what the Tardis was up to, the nerve of that ship! She was definitely going to have words with her now. The Tardis wanted Jon to move in with her and have all the bills put in his name, he'd been given ID and a whole life, Rose just the basics so she would have to agree to him moving in to maintain her cover, that ship was taking sides again, even planting the idea into him that Rose had a spare room and needed someone to share the bills and running costs and conveniently having her old flatmate move out at the right time. That ship was plotting against her!

She stood by the console inside the Tardis, putting her hand on the central column and saying hello. She cleared her mind of other thoughts and tried to make mental contact with the ship. "So, you want The Doctor to move in with me, is that so I can keep an eye on him better and he doesn't go wandering off?" she asked. The lights on the column blinked several times, meaning yes, Rose assumed and assumed that if the lights didn't blink it was a no so she tested a no. "Or you don't want The Doctor to move in with me and he goes elsewhere?" No answer, the lights remained dim. That settled that then but Rose had other questions for the ship, some things she needed clearing up since he was the last one to communicate the terms of the becoming Human and seemed to have added a few extra parameters into the mix.

"So, I let him move in so he can provide all the necessary ID for things I need for the flat?" She got a yes. "What about him falling in love with me? He said it would be ok but I'd have to fight him off. If I fight him off too much he'll go looking elsewhere, won't he?" She got a yes. "Because he said if I turn him down he may look elsewhere and then I'll lose him but if I let things go too far, won't things get awkward for us afterwards?" No answer. That meant he was prepared to accept full responsibility if things got out of hand, if he initiated it, if she didn't lead him on and just responded to him, then he couldn't put the blame on her, she was only doing what she could to keep him.

Rose didn't really feel like she was getting anywhere and she had to give him an answer when she met him. She could insist he stayed in the spare room for the next three month, not actually sleeping together, just messing around in the chair but would that keep him happy? Maybe for the first few nights but after that? Would the Doctor forgive her, despite him saying there would be no repercussions if she let him go all the way? Would she forgive herself for making the ultimate sacrifice to keep him if after he changed back he threw her out of the Tardis and never spoke to her again, even though he said he'd be ok with whatever they had done? Was it better to let him go out and do it with someone else? Probably not, not with a stranger, he'd more or less said that but he had left her with an awful lot of unanswered questions, maybe he had confided in the Tardis as to how far she should actually take this, if he had said something after their agreement had been made. He wanted to experience the same life as a Human male and Human males had needs.

Time to ask then, the big question. "Before I go, I have one last question, ok?" she asked, as she touched the central column and the ship hummed. "He might have told you not to answer this one but here goes, if it means keeping him safe and with me, to avoid him looking elsewhere, should I let him go all the way if and only if he asks me and if I can't stall him any longer and he says he's leaving me?"

Rose waited for the answer and at first she thought it was a definite no from the ship or he had instructed her not to answer this type of question should Rose have need to ask it, if it was the latter, how had he expected her to cope? He'd told her not to let herself get jealous by letting him go off elsewhere and he'd changed the conditions to he would fancy her and be drawn to her so in that case, did it mean he was accepting the fact he may ask her to?

Then the lights started blinking on the column and the ship hummed, like she had been thinking about it or maybe there was a tiny bit of the Timelord part of him the ship had been consulting with but Rose wished she had the full capacity to talk to the ship like he had. She could ask for things and they would be provided and it seemed sometimes the ship was giving her ideas but not on this scale but it still was unclear, if she led him on and he didn't initiate it, he may get mad but if was mutual, well that would be justified but maybe there was one option she hadn't thought about to avoid actually going ahead if he did ask her, one that might just stall him long enough and spare them both afterwards. She would just have to wait and see, there was no use thinking about it if he never got around to it.

She may not have to be worried about it at all if he'd changed the plan, she would just have to be prepared for it. She said goodbye to the ship, saying she would be back in a few days or a week at the most, the Tardis understood that if she let him stay it wasn't going to be easy to come back for a visit and the ship would give him three months to come back or power down altogether to await his return or not.

Rose had to rush or she would be late meeting Jon, arriving just in time and avoiding giving him an answer and saying she would tell him later. He greeted her with a hug and said he'd packed an overnight bag just in case and they had a busy day with two performances and only a few hours rest inbetween and he was going to be tired later so maybe he would be just happy staying in the spare room tonight. They ate and went across to the theatre. They were careful not to close his dressing room door even when she gave him a kiss for luck but after the matinee performance, Rose managed to get him to have an hours rest, reluctantly alone on the promise that she would let him stay at least overnight if not move into the spare room or ultimately in with her. He promised he would keep to the spare room if that was what she wanted and not push his luck too far but he didn't promise not to at least try to persuade her otherwise or keep her on the chair or sofa for as long as he could.

After the evening performance, they decided they weren't going to pretend to leave separately any more and Rose waited by the stage door while he signed autographs, chatted to the crowd and had photos taken and she couldn't help but admire the way he did it, he looked right at home. He came back in, all smiles, taking his shoulder bag from Rose which he had given her to look after and then talking to the doormen, jokingly asking when it would be safe to go back outside to go to his car.

They walked out together hand in hand once everyone had been cleared from the area, Rose hoping there was no-one left with a camera, she would have some explaining to do to her mother if she was seen in the newspapers walking out hand in hand with a long haired Doctor look-a-like. Sooner or later though, he would ask about her family and her mother would want to know why she hadn't been to visit but maybe somehow, Jackie hadn't been mesmerised into believing Jon even existed because she thought the Doctor looking like a certain Scottish actor was bad enough but someone else who looked like him? She would never cope.

As they drove back to Rose's apartment, Jon was fairly quiet and looked tired, Rose was thankful it was only a five minute drive and as they pulled up in the parking area, he seemed to brighten up which meant to Rose he was going to keep her occupied for as long as he could before retiring to the spare room. She thought how the Doctor could be like that sometimes, all quiet and moody then bouncing around like someone possessed, she used to silently call him 'Tigger' but would never dare say it aloud. Maybe she could call this version of him by that name, just for a bit of fun.

He got his overnight bag out of the car, following her inside and was all over her once the door was closed as he put his bags on the floor and put his arms around her, kissing her before she even got her jacket off, steering her towards the sofa, Rose thinking he must have thought the chair was too cramped last night. Asking if he wanted a drink and something to eat, he reached the sofa and helped her off with her jacket before taking off his own. She loved the t-shirt he was wearing, it was very him and she wondered where exactly the Tardis had got them from but maybe they were the Doctor's secret collection that he had never told her about.

Saying some tea and cheese toasties would be nice, he stretched out on the sofa waiting for Rose to come back, flicking through the TV channels with the remote then turning it off when he couldn't find anything he liked as she came back in, a big smile showing on his face as she put the tray down. Moving his feet, he took one of the toasted sandwiches and let her sit down next to him and asked her where she wanted to go the following day.

"Let me make you breakfast in the morning, it's the least I can do for you making me tea and toast these last few nights. I could even bring you breakfast in bed, if you like," he said, as finished the last sandwich with a guilty look and grinned at her.

"Well breakfast would be nice but maybe in the kitchen? Anyway, I'll show you to your room if you want, unless you have any questions such as how we play this if I let you move in?"

"Oh Rose, who needs rules? If you let me move in, I'll make you breakfast every morning if you like and I won't take no for an answer, in fact, I insist I make you breakfast every morning. How can you turn down an offer like that? If you're worried I might creep into your room at night, don't be but aside from that, wouldn't you feel safer having someone with you at night? Even if not in the same room?'' He smiled at her and leaned over, pushing her back onto the cushions and began to kiss her.

Rose put her arms around his neck, pulling him down with her as they continued kissing, using one hand to pull her legs up over his as he tried to lay her down. He took a moment to pull his t-shirt off, then continued kissing her as he put a hand around her back, slowly up her top to her bra fastener, undoing it first time having learned his lesson from the night before and pulled it away from her back. He moved away, putting his other hand up the front of her top, Rose didn't try and stop him this time but his hand hovered on top of her bra, he didn't try to pull it away as he continued kissing her. Then he stopped and looked at her, smiling as if to say he could if he wanted but he may or may not, as Rose put her hand on his chest. Instead, he pulled her top back down but pulled her bra free and letting it hang loosely down as he moved his hand over the material covering her as the straps were pulled over her shoulders. Then he leaned over her and began kissing her again, slipping his tongue between her teeth as Rose responded doing the same.

Rose put her hands on his back, reaching for his shoulders to pull him down even further, she could feel him through the thin material of her top as her bra got moved further down as he was lying on her, his legs just to one side of her against the back if the sofa, touching her as the kisses were getting deeper. Then suddenly, he moved his hand under her top but rested it on her tummy and she left it there as he moved her top so skin was touching skin. He asked if she was ok with it, she nodded and asked her to lie on top of him as they shuffled around, Rose trying not to fall off the edge of the sofa as she wriggled over so he was underneath and he pulled her right on top of him.

The kissing and touching intensified as he now pulled Rose closer, pulling her top up at the back, her bra almost now around her waist as he struggled to move it away, now moving her top with it until she was uncovered and lying on him, her bra rolled up with her top, her breasts now touching his chest. He stopped kissing her and smiled at her, well more like a grin, as if he was waiting for her to protest but she didn't. She just smiled back and she decided that was as far as that was going tonight.

They kissed a while longer, Jon seemingly satisfied he was at least getting somewhere after last night's failed attempt and he didn't attempt to do anything else, Rose had managed to not give in right away, she had made him work at getting there and that was going to be the key answer to it all, make him want to initiate everything and not do anything voluntarily, let him work at it and give him a reward but don't keep him waiting too long. If she could get him to start something and then let him get part of the way, then finish it the following night, well it could take some time to get to the last part of his mission and by then, the three months could be nearly up but things were going rather faster than she had anticipated and so she would have to try and slow them down.

There was one small thing that was going to get in the way at least for a few days over the next three months for which she would be grateful of and would give her the extra time she needed to delay the inevitable, one of which was coming up very soon and she hoped he had some concept and understanding of a young Human female and why she would be a bit off over those few days if he wasn't satisfied with what they were doing now. Rose could feel him on her neck now, he was making his way down to her shoulder, the loose neck on her top was giving him room as he was now trying to move her arm to lift the top off one shoulder, which she let him but was going to stop the other one as he slid the strap of her bra down her arm and before she knew it, had pulled her top over her head as he had moved her head while he was kissing her and was pulling the remains of the top away from her along with her bra. So much for that than, she'd thought.

It was getting late, they both realised at the same time and stopped, he raised her slightly so they were just touching as he held her arm up that had been around his neck. "It's getting late Rose, you should show me that spare room now unless you want to continue this in your room?" he asked hopefully.

Rose grabbed her top from the back of the sofa without getting up too far and pulled it back over her head and down, then getting up off him to sit on the edge of the sofa. "I think I'd better just show you the room, not that I wouldn't want to continue this at some point but not now and I'm getting tired."

She got off the sofa and he held out his hand for her to help him up, hoping he wasn't going to pull her back down but he didn't, instead he stood in front of her and kissed her again saying, "Lead the way then, oh and I'll still make you breakfast in the morning, as a thank you for letting me stay and you will let me know if I can move in tomorrow won't you?"

Rose agreed and led him to the spare room, Jon throwing his overnight bag onto the bed and turning around as Rose stood in the doorway. "You weren't going to leave without giving me a goodnight kiss, were you?" he teased, walking up to her and putting his arms around her, pulling her close so she could feel her breasts pressing into his chest.

Rose broke the kiss and he let go, reluctantly, as they said goodnight and Rose closed the door behind her, hoping he wouldn't break his promise and try to talk his way into her room because the way she felt right now, she was liable to forget that she had drawn a line and may be the first one to cross it and forget the part where she had vowed to let him make all the first moves.

The next morning, having turned off her alarm with it being Sunday, she was woken by a knock on the door and Jon calling out that her breakfast was almost ready. She hurriedly got dressed and walked into the kitchen to the smell of a cooked breakfast although she couldn't recall having seen many of the ingredients in the fridge and thought the Tardis had been busy again. Not that she was complaining however but she wished she'd known before she had gone shopping that he was going to be staying over. She sat down at the table as he put the plate in front of her and went to pour some tea, she thought he was being extremely quiet but that was soon changed as he began to ask where she wanted to go for the day and then a million other questions.

Most were asking her about herself, what she liked, where she grew up and Rose answered as honestly as she could without giving too much away but if she was going to live with him, he was bound to come up with even more questions and she was going to have to give excuses not to answer them. They decided where they were going and set off, Jon was laughing and joking, Rose wanted to listen to the radio, he didn't like her music so they found a station that played oldies and they both sang along reminding Rose of when he was still the Doctor and they would dance around the Tardis.

They had fun looking around the various tourist attractions and the shops that were open once they arrived, choosing a nice pub to have Sunday lunch and discovering they both liked the same thing for dessert and laughing. On the way back, Jon asked her if she had decided if he could move in and after five minutes silence from Rose, making him think she was going to refuse to keep him guessing, she finally agreed and if he hadn't been driving he would probably been all over her but he kept driving, looking pleased until she said there were a few minor details they would have to work out when they got back and he asked when he could move in.

"Come on Rose, you said yes, so when can I move in then? Maybe I should wait until tomorrow, you know, give us time to get used to it then I can check out of the hotel in the morning and let them know at the theatre. Can I still stay tonight though, in the spare room again of course if you want me to and I'll make you breakfast again. What do you say?"

"Yeah, you might as well stay tonight I suppose but don't get any ideas about sneaking into my room just yet, we might work up to that but not quite yet although I'm not saying it will work up to that, we'll have to see how things go but the spare room is yours."

Since Jon had enough things to last him another night, they went straight back to the apartment, Rose making a point of giving him the spare keys and Jon settled down to watch TV, going out later for some takeaway food, then both curling up in the chair to watch a film, one that turned out to be quite scary and she had to hold on to Jon's neck and she was sure he had chosen it on purpose, just like the Doctor used to do. He was laughing when she said she didn't want to watch any more of the film so he took advantage and began kissing her, lifting her legs over his and laying her back and not wasting any time getting her bra off as he unfastened her white lacy top and took off his shirt when Rose unbuttoned it. With her top unfastened he pulled her bra away and leaned down to kiss her, glancing up at her to see if she was objecting but she was smiling and suddenly sat up to meet him and pushed him back onto the opposite cushion, now on top of him and her legs either side of him, leaning down and kissing him.

Now he was smiling as he held onto her, his arms around her neck, hers around his, they resumed their kissing more fervently, his fingers running through her hair. She stopped and unfastened his hair so it came free and began to run her fingers through it, he smiled, pulling her back down.

"Rose, what are you going to do when I have to have the hair extension removed? I can't keep it in forever and you do seem to like it, maybe you won't like me once it's gone."

"Don't say that, I'd like you even without it but when it's not tied up it makes you look…" She stopped before she blurted out just how sexy it made him look.

"Go on, what does it make me look? You can tell me, you mean like a rock star or something?" he grinned. "I suppose I've looked different in every play I've done but I usually keep my hair reasonably short although sometimes it seems to have a life of its own when it wants to."

Rose ran her fingers through his hair again and he leaned in, kissing her and managed to get her to move so he was lying on her, pulling her lacy top up and her bra with it as he touched her breasts with one hand and was about to kiss the other until she put her hand in the way to stop him to which he complained.

"Aw Rose, you always stop me when I'm getting to the good part," he said as he looked up at her but he was smiling when he said it. "Ok, sorry but it was too good to resist."

He pulled her top back down but the buttons were still open and he could still see her breasts and started kissing her neck, all the way down the open part of her garment but not too far down. She didn't stop him, she was running her fingers on his shoulders, he was whispering her name as he kissed her neck.

Then he suggested they changed places again, giving her the chance to do the same to him, well if he wanted her to, who was she to deny him? Rose happily obliged but he wanted her to go further than just kissing her neck as he pulled her head down but she looked up at him and stayed where she was. He moved his hands round to her back and under her top, kissing her neck. Rose stopped what she was doing and he looked disappointed.


	6. Chapter 6

Rose was enjoying it far too much

"It's getting late, we should get some sleep. Why don't you go to the hotel first thing tomorrow morning and get your things and check out? " Rose said, getting up and pulling her top back down.

Jon remained on the chair, his long legs crossed, his arms behind his head, looking totally already at home, Rose was getting more tempted by the minute to remain where she had been a few seconds ago but it was no good. Giving in this soon would just make it worse when the time came for him to change back, it would be worse for him because he had no control over his feelings, she did and it would be more difficult for her to let go than for him because if she gave in first, he may not forgive her, he had to be the one who gave in or gave her no other option but to lose him. He had put her in a dilemma, clearly not thinking what it would do for them both if she was the one to give in. How could he sit there so casually, looking like that, looking so sexy? Was he doing it because he knew what it did to her? Was it even legal for him to look that sexy? Honestly, he should come with a health warning!

"So are you going to watch more TV, 'cos I'm going to my bedroom, you can stay up at watch it if you like, just make sure you switch everything off." She walked back over to him, leaned down and kissed him.

He caught her arm and pulled her back down, she landed on him as he kissed her deeply, then let her go, leaving her breathless and struggling to get up. He helped her, getting up with her and kissed her again.

"Goodnight Rose, I'll see you for breakfast, then," he said, kissing her neck. "Tomorrow, we go into the theatre together, no more sneaking around and we tell everyone we're seeing each other, ok?"

Rose nodded and turned and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. At least they wouldn't have to go in pretending like they weren't seeing each other, half of the cast probably already knew anyway since Jon was staying at the same hotel and he hadn't been there much lately and by the way the two of them acted backstage. Once he moved in though she could relax a little bit and they would both relax around each other, it wasn't going to be that much different than spending time in the Tardis together, both of them knew to give each other room to be alone when they wanted, Jon would have to accept there would be times when she wanted to be alone.

Just as she was trying to go to sleep, she heard a noise in the hallway, assuming it was Jon going to bed or into the bathroom and she smiled to herself at having to get used to sharing the bathroom with a man instead of her mother or a slob of a so-called boyfriend who didn't know how to clear up after himself and thought it cleaned itself. Then she heard another door, then it went quiet but a few minutes later, there was a tap on her door followed by a 'Rose'.

She asked what he wanted, telling him to go to bed and wait until morning but he persisted. How was she going to last at this rate if he was going to knock on her door every night instead of going to his own room? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all. There was a 'Rose' again so she got up, put a dressing gown on and opened the door slightly so she didn't have to shout.

"What's wrong, please just go to bed, I'm tired, whatever it is can wait until morning, can't it?"

He still had no shirt on, why did he insist on keeping taking his shirt or t-shirt off, it totally was not fair on his part, he must have added that element into the game, an unfair advantage and once this was over, she was going to find out exactly what it was he had added to her original plan she had told the Tardis, unless it was the ship's way of playing the game. He stood there, looking her up and down as if he was going to say something but changed his mind and she thought he was just seeing if she was still awake. It was gone midnight, too late to be playing games and Rose could tell he was stalling.

"Rose, I just wanted to say, thanks for today, it's been a while since I had a day out with someone like that and I really enjoyed it, especially when we got back. Night then." He pushed the door slightly open to kiss her then left.

Rose managed a 'night' back and closed her door. Maybe she was wrong about the whole thing, maybe it wouldn't be that difficult to last until it was all over after all. There again, it could be the calm before the storm and she was being lulled into a false sense of security.

Week 2

She was woken by the smell of something cooking and a knock on the door saying breakfast was nearly ready. Jon said he was going to the hotel to check out and get his things, Rose gave him a kiss on the cheek goodbye and he asked if she was sure about him moving in.

"Yeah, I'm sure, I wouldn't let you move in if I wasn't but it doesn't mean that I'll let you in my room yet, we'll have to see how things go. You might not get on with me so well once you move in with me," she half joked.

He looked at her seriously, then smiled and kissed her forehead. "Well don't make it too difficult for me to live with you and don't think trying to put me off on purpose will do any good, I can be quite persistent when I want to be. Right, best be off before the hotel charges for another day. See you back here or are you going out?"

"Na, I'll be here, got some cleaning to do. See you soon," she replied, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

He left so she took the opportunity of paying the Tardis a visit because now it was going to be difficult to get away, even taking out the rubbish wouldn't justify staying out long unless she said she had been talking to one of her neighbours but too many times, he might get suspicious and either follow her or start taking it out himself. She knew the ship would understand and Rose tried to convey she wouldn't stay away on purpose and she would be back as soon as she possibly could. Rose told the ship he had moved in with her, the ship had hummed so as Rose left, she said goodbye and was sad that she didn't know how long it would be before she could get back, the one thing the ship hadn't thought of in the plan to get him to move in with her was that the Tardis would be alone. Rose knew the ship would be ok, no-one would discover her and felt sure she would be warned if there was any danger. Maybe the perception filter would protect her anyway, Rose could see her but no-one else should be able to and even The Doctor in his present state shouldn't be able to.

It wasn't long before Jon was back with all his belongings from the hotel and Rose helped him hang everything up and couldn't believe how many different t-shirts he had, did he travel around with his entire wardrobe from home, wherever that was supposed to be? She had to get him to talk about it, where he was supposed to live, he was meant to be travelling a lot but he had to have a base, somewhere he stayed when not touring. Rose joked about some of his comic t-shirts, envying his collection of Beatles ones and they messed around for a while before Rose made some lunch and they set off for the theatre.

Making a point of walking in hand in hand in front of the doorman and much to everyone's amusement once backstage, Jon went off to the office to give his temporary change of address and got a few stares as the secretary noted it was the same one as Rose but she never said anything. Rose found Mary and told her she was seeing Jon and that they weren't hiding the fact and everyone would know eventually anyway so if there was any gossip, it was true. She was just about to go find Jon when Kay came up to her.

"Well that didn't take long did it? I know I said for you get someone to share with you but he wasn't quite the one I had in mind," she laughed, patting Rose on the back. "I saw you come in with him, then I heard Kathy in the office talking to him when I walked past. You've only known him a few days, I hope you know what you're doing Rose." With that, Kay went on her way and Rose went to find him or to rescue him, whatever.

Over the next few days, they spent most of their time kissing in his dressing room before the performance, Rose continued trying to keep him satisfied with allowing him to take her top or shirt off without a fuss and they spent longer on the sofa, Rose was even letting him unfasten his jeans but not actually taking them off, just to up the game and make him think he'd made yet another advancement and on the Friday night, she had got her monthly unwanted gift earlier in the day and was feeling a bit grumpy, which he noticed when she didn't want to lie on him or have him lie on her and he asked what was wrong. When she explained, he just smiled and said there were lots of ways he could help her take her mind of it and proceeded to show her, being careful to not lay of her stomach and just to the side of her, kissing just above her breasts and her neck as she held onto him, kissing the side of his neck and then suddenly, the game changed.

He was so involved in kissing her neck, he bit into her and she let out an 'ow!' and he just grinned at her, leaving a red mark on her neck in a prominent place, of course. He positioned his neck so she could bite him back and there was no way she was going to let that pass. They both laughed and he resumed kissing her neck area, occasionally stopping to kiss her lips and telling her that he had made his mark on her. Then he upped the game, pulling his jeans slightly down, pushing his luck even further, he didn't normally make two moves in a short space of time and he'd made one move by initiating the biting.

Rose decide that was enough for one night before he pulled them even further down but she did it gently by letting him open the zip and she got a glimpse of his shorts, then she stopped him from pulling them down even more by reminding him of her current handicap. He just smiled again, pleased he had advanced towards the next stage but it was only two weeks, Rose thought she wouldn't survive much longer, she was starting to weaken at the latest development, he wanted to move a lot faster than she had predicted. They both went off to their own rooms once they had done some more kissing and Rose had made it quite clear he was not coming into her room, Jon pretending to sulk but sneaking another kiss before she closed her door.

He had been up early every morning to make her breakfast but Saturday morning, Rose got up before him and had almost finished making breakfast when she heard him go into the bathroom and while he was in there, she gathered his onto a tray, sneaked into his room and left the tray on the dresser and sneaked back out again.

She heard him come out and peeked out of the kitchen door to see him in even briefer shorts than he wore when they were kissing on the sofa and she couldn't help but admire the view and hoped he didn't realise she was watching him and really hoped he wouldn't be wearing those particular one's when they got back later that night or she was in dead trouble. He shouted a 'thanks Rose' to her and she smiled, she couldn't let him make breakfast, he'd been doing it every morning since he'd moved in so it was her turn. Twenty minutes later, he came into the kitchen with the tray and proceeded to wash the dishes and even took her empty plate, smiling as he did. He was wearing a rather sexy looking pink shirt which she thought rather suited him, not many men could actually wear a pink shirt and get away with it but he definitely could, with his light blue jeans. Plus it carefully covered the mark she had made on him the night before. He left the kitchen for a few minutes and came back with a pile of laundry, asking how to operate the washing machine. He was really getting this domesticated lark.

It was going to be another long day, two performances, very little time inbetween especially as he insisted on signing autographs after the matinee, him saying it was only fair that those who came in the afternoon got as much chance as the ones in the evening and pointed out to her that some may have come from overseas. During the break, Rose managed to get Jon to have a rest but stayed with him, there was no point in hiding the fact now, they had been together all week in front of everyone but still got a few stares, mostly from her jealous co-workers who wished it was them instead.

An exhausted but jubilant Jon came off stage after the evening performance after taking several bows having been called back, he was in rather a hurry to get changed, saying he wanted to take Rose out but she said everywhere would be closed and he said he'd been told of a bar that stayed open late but she still didn't want to go out, saying they could go out the following night.

"Rose, I feel I'm neglecting you, we only go out for the odd lunch, we don't even go out for breakfast now, I just wanted to take you somewhere nice, Sweetheart, that's all. You stay in all the time or spend the rest of your time here. If you won't go out tonight, then tomorrow night, I'll take you somewhere really nice, ok?"

Rose nodded. "You don't have to keep taking me out honestly. I'm used to this, this is what I do, I'm used to working these hours. If I wanted nine to five I'd get a normal job." She tied his hair back and kissed his cheek. "I dare you to go outside and sign autographs with your hair like this," she teased, letting his hair fall loose again and adding "your fans will go crazy when they see you."

Even when he was the Doctor he could never resist a challenge from her so he quickly got up and said "You're on" and left his dressing room.

Rose could hear the others outside asking if Rose had forgotten to tie his hair up but he just laughed. She was watching from the doorway as the other girls were giggling then looking over at her but she really didn't care. She followed after him to the stage door and there seemed to be more fans than usual, all with camera flashes and holding out programmes to sign, he went round them, reaching the one's that he could, some were more persistent than others until he saw a young girl with her mother and he looked down at her, she wasn't holding a programme so he asked if she had one to sign and when she said no, he turned to ask Rose to go get one which she did and was back a few minutes later and he signed it and handed it back to the girl, her mother asking for a photo. Rose couldn't help but smile but hoped no-one would ask who she was, she wanted to remain nameless.

Rose handed him his jacket and satchel and they waited to be escorted out, Jon driving them straight home and not insisting they went out and once they arrived and were inside, Rose stopped and kissed him and when he asked what that was for she said for getting that programme for that young girl and he just smiled.

Rose went to make tea and toast and when she came back in, Jon hadn't wasted any time and his shirt was already off. What was it with him? Rose had often wished to see him without his shirt in the Tardis and had occasionally when they had gone swimming but that wasn't the same, you expected that but to just take it off for no reason, like now and he was laid on the sofa with his arms behind his head, just like the other day when he had done it in the chair, just lazing back. He moved his legs to let her sit down and took the toast gratefully, having not eaten since just after his afternoon rest when Rose had gone up to the café for him. They talked for a while, deciding what they were going to do the next day and Rose suggested they just set off in a general direction and then find somewhere for lunch so that decided, Jon thought it was time to get down to the serious stuff, leaning over and unbuttoning Rose's top and pulling it over her head, then unbuttoning his jeans as he pulled her down on him and unfastening her bra. They began kissing and Jon tried once more to pull his jeans down, getting a bit further than the night before until Rose stopped him, he seemed to be wearing what she had seen earlier and was getting worried he was serious about taking his jeans off but she was safe for a couple more nights at least.

 

Week 3

Three nights later though, Rose knew there was going to be a lot of work on her part to keep him off her altogether and some progress was going to have to be made. They had just got back from doing the live broadcast, Jon was over excited it had all gone so well, they'd had a little celebration after the performance, Jon having only a non-alcoholic drink because he was driving but he was full of excitement on the way back and Rose had to quieten him on the way in, he was talking away and they had got back a bit later than normal, his hair still loose, Rose saying she preferred it that way and since it was late there was no point in tying it up. He knew she liked his long hair so he didn't argue and the fans had loved it too.

She was just about to make a drink when he came up behind her in the kitchen and put his arms around her waist and turned her around, looking at her neck to see if the mark he had put there had gone which it had, then he picked her up and carried her into the lounge, Rose catching the light switch on the way out. Laying her down on the sofa, he took his t-shirt off and her top and lay at the side of her, kissing her and taking off her bra and suddenly went for her neck to make another mark, grinning at her and changed the game again as until now he had not attempted to kiss her breasts but he decided this was the night he was going to try and since nothing new had happened in the last few nights, Rose was hardly in a position to refuse as he looked down at her, unbuttoning his jeans and then shocked Rose by reaching for the button of her jeans and succeeding, only because he did it so fast before she had realised and he was pulling his jeans down, revealing a similar pair of shorts she had seen him in the other morning.

Rose knew she was really in trouble now, this was getting serious and he was meaning to escalate the proceedings. He reached for her jeans but she put her hand in the way.

"Um, I think one of us with their jeans unfastened is enough for now," she teased, tugging on purpose at the back of his jeans, not quite pulling them down but indicating he could pull them lower if he wanted.

He did, pulling them down just below his shorts and smiled at her, looking down at her uncovered breasts. "You are making me crazy, the way you tease me," he said, stopping just above her and about to kiss her then moved his head lower and began kissing her breasts.

Rose fumbled her fingers through his long hair, what would she do when he had to have the extension taken out? She really loved that long hair! As Jon was busy giving her breasts his undivided attention, she thought that this was really no different than what Human males would do after around three weeks of dating and they did spend more time together than usual so it was bound to happen faster than seeing someone once or twice a week and coming home every night like they were doing was more like it being three months. She was wishing now she had only agreed to three weeks, it would be over but would three weeks have been enough for him to prove anything? Maybe not.

Her arms were wrapped around him as he stopped and looked at her, a big grin on his face at another step in what he probably thought was the right direction and he propped himself up, looking down on her. He moved his hand from her breast and stroked her cheek, leaning down and kissing her. Rose smiled back and responded by moving his hair back and touching his cheek. He was clearly expecting something in return now he seemed satisfied he had kissed every millimetre of her breasts several times over, looking at her as if to say it was her turn. He suddenly tried to move underneath her so she slid round and landed on top of him, smiled again and run her fingers over his chest, his arms around her shoulders as she leaned down and began to press her lips from one side to the other, not even noticing the look on his face as he buried his head in her neck and whispered her name.


	7. Chapter 7

Rose realised she had been letting him do all the work and knew she was at some point going to have to take the lead or he was going to start thinking it was all one sided and she didn't feel the same way. Best get on with it then as she began kissing him lower down until she reached his belly button and kissed all the way around it then surprised even herself by going a bit lower, just to the waistband of his shorts and as if to encourage her, a hand that had been on her shoulder was suddenly reaching under the waistband of her jeans and was on her bottom, just touching the waistband of her knickers. He definitely wanted more but now this was going to have to wait until tomorrow night.

Rose looked up from his belly and smiled, his hand remained where it was. Then she crawled back up and kissed his chest again, his hand slid back up to her waist. She really didn't want to spoil the mood by saying that was quite enough for one night, she had to stop it gently so she crawled a bit further up to meet his lips, forcing him to move away from the back of her jeans and kissed him deeply, as if to send him a signal that she wanted more but not tonight. Both his hands were now on her hips, trying to move her jeans down and she let him move them slightly before wriggling away so his hands went back.

"Mmm, this is getting interesting Jon, maybe we should just postpone this for another night," she smiled, teasing him one more time by dipping down and kissing his belly again. This time she looked up and saw the big smirk on his face.

He had to agree, reluctantly because he knew when Rose wanted to stop, they stopped, slowly, by him retracing some of the things he had already achieved. "Ok, for now but tomorrow night, I'd really like it if you started things off because I never know just when you're going to decide it's your turn."

Rose had to agree or he was also going to think she didn't actually know herself what she wanted. Did she? She had an imaginary line drawn that she wasn't going to cross but it was still a good distance away, maybe it would take nearly over two months to reach it, if she was devious enough to keep this at the kissing and touching stage, making sure she remained in control by making him think that he was.

"Ok, but I won't be responsible if it gets out of hand," she laughed. Then she had a serious look on her face. "Jon, can I ask you something?" Jon nodded. "These last few weeks, especially since we've been doing this every night and you've been patiently going to your own room every night afterwards, don't you get frustrated and want me to back down and let you in my room? 'Cos you've never once tried to get me to back down and I'm just surprised, that's all. Is it because if I say no if you did actually ask me, you'd take it that it meant it was never going to happen and don't want things to get awkward and ruin everything?"

Jon looked up at her, moving his hand to touch her breasts. "Rose, it's not that but I was just thinking you weren't ready to invite me into your room and I figured that when you were, you'd ask me so I didn't want to put you off by asking you every night and no, if I did ask and you say no, I'd keep on asking you every night after we fooled around on the sofa and hope one night you'll actually say yes to me."

The arm that was still around her waist pulled her nearer and he whispered, "I'll start asking every night if you really want me to." Then he pulled her on top of him and they kissed some more until he finally released her.

Rose moved and reached for her top and got off the sofa, with some help in not falling onto the floor, fastening her jeans and she pulled him up when he held his arms out to her, landing at her feet and pulling her close, he had pulled up his jeans but they remained unbuttoned and leaned in to kiss her.

"So is there any chance you might give in tonight then if I give you some promises? Please Rose? I promise I'll keep my shorts on and I'll wear a t-shirt if you want and you can wear your pyjama bottoms and a top and I also promise I won't try anything else, please?"

Rose smiled at him, he was looking like a puppy asking for a treat, then he buried his face into her neck, kissing it softly and whispered "I love you Rose," just loud enough for her to hear him.

Rose held him back, she had not expected to ever hear him say it, not while he was being Jon anyway but it was only to be expected, just not only three weeks into him being Human. There she was, trying to control her feelings and not bothering to think what it must be doing to him. Had he as the Doctor ever been in love with a Human female? Did she have the right to let him totally lose it while he wasn't himself? Or should she let him have some pleasure without doing the ultimate, passing the point of no return for either of them?

She smiled at him and saw the pleading in his gorgeous brown eyes and buried her face into his neck and whispered back," I love you too" and hung onto him because she really did love him as Jon, he was everything she had wanted him to be and more and when he was back to his old self again, he would remember everything and maybe still love her because she already loved the Timelord part him and if he had changed the rules she had set, then just maybe he'd changed them enough to carry his emotions and feelings for her over when he was back to his old self. It was a risk she was willing to take but she would never under any circumstances cross the point of no return without him actually being the Doctor. As they held each other, she could feel the relief in him and that he'd been afraid to tell her until now because he didn't know how she truly felt about him.

They let go of each other and kissed and that changed the game completely. It was now into stage two as Rose agreed on his promises but insisted he put some other shorts on because there was no way she was sleeping in the same bed as him on their first night with him wearing those and admitted she had seen him wearing them the other Saturday morning and they both laughed. Rose went to put her pyjama bottoms on but chose the short ones and a vest top with thin straps and went into the bathroom. When she came out, Jon had tied his hair back and was wearing a white t-shirt and some fairly decent sized boxer shorts and was sitting on her bed.

As Rose lay with her head on his chest, Jon was running his fingers through her hair with one hand and the other was holding her after they had just kissed for a while and they eventually both fell asleep. Rose woke up to the alarm going off and realised he had moved her and she was alone. Had he got too tempted during the night and gone back to his own room? She needn't have worried because he came back a few minutes later as she debated whether to wait or get out of bed, he was carrying a tray with her breakfast. They smiled at each other and he set the tray down and kissed her cheek with a cheerful 'morning sunshine' and went back out only to return with a tray for himself and sat on the edge of the bed.

That afternoon, they walked happily hand in hand into the theatre, even past a few fans that were lurking around in the car park hoping to get a glimpse of Jon, who waved to them but never let go of Rose's hand. Rose was hoping there were no reporters there or she would have her mother on the phone the next day. That was something, Jon was going to want to meet her at some point and she couldn't explain why he shouldn't and the only thing she could think of was that they didn't have the time to go but the bank holiday was next Monday, they would have Sunday and Monday off as the theatre had agreed to give them all a break. She was going to have to let her mother in on her secret and hope she would understand and not spoil it by giving the game away.

So while Jon was busy going over some things with the rest of the cast, she sat in his dressing room and rang her mother.

"Well it's about time you rang me, it's been nearly two weeks Rose and I never know whether to ring you, I don't want to get an intergalactic sized phone bill for ringing you if you're halfway across the galaxy. So what have you been up to? You've not got into any trouble again have you? What have you just escaped from this time? More bog monsters?"

Rose let Jackie get that out of the way before trying to explain exactly what had been going on.

"You did what Rose? You mean his Lordship is acting like a normal Human? Oh that I have got to see!" Jackie laughed.

"No, Mum, he really is Human, he used this device to change himself and I have sort of a miniature version of this device that will restore him back to being himself after three months are up and it's been almost a month now but that isn't all of it, I could pick anything I wanted him to be and I made him a famous actor."

Jackie stopped laughing. "Oh you didn't! Rose, you didn't make him into that actor I said he looked like did you? Please say you didn't!"

"No, the Tardis gave him a completely new identity, he goes by the name of Jonathan Smyth with a 'y' and he has a whole background, a full life and he's famous and everyone knows him and he's in a play and I've got a job in the theatre looking after his hair and make-up. I take it you know nothing about him?"

"No, never heard of him, what's he been in?"

"Mum, he's not actually been in anything, his whole life is invented by the Tardis and in just over two months, he changes back and disappears, no-one will remember him. There's just one snag though and promise you won't get mad?" Jackie grunted an 'ok' which meant she may not sound mad but she would sort someone out when she saw him. "We had this bet, that he couldn't live as a human but one of the catches was that if he fell in love with me, I had to well, keep him interested so he wouldn't go out and find another girlfriend so now I'm his girlfriend and he's moved in with me." There was a deadly silence, unusual for her mother but it meant a ticking timebomb was about to explode in Rose's ears.

"So, let me get this right, you're his girlfriend, he's no longer a Timelord and he's living with you? Have I missed anything? Wait a minute, are you sleeping together? Rose, please tell me your not Sweetheart because when it's all over, you'll be heartbroken when he goes back to normal."

"Well, we only just sleep, nothing more, we share a room now but only so he doesn't lose interest in me because part of it was that if I wasn't interested enough in him he may look elsewhere but he won't now, I can keep him interested another two months, I just have to make him think things are progressing naturally. Anyway, I've drawn a line and it's not getting crossed. Now you have to pretend you know who he is because he's going to want to meet you and you can't let on you don't know about him so best got to the library and go on the internet and look him up because we've got this weekend off and I was going to bring him over on Sunday. Can you do that Mum, please?"

Jackie broke her silence, having more or less taken everything in but she wasn't pleased. "Oh alright, I'll do it just for you because I know how infatuated you are with him and honestly Rose, you shouldn't have taken things so far, bet or no bet. If you have real feelings for him, you should just tell him."

"Well there's a lot more to it but yeah, I know, it will all get sorted after it's over. So when I bring him to see you, promise you won't slap his face or anything and be nice to him. He really knows nothing about it, he really thinks he is who he and everyone else says he is. I'd better go, he'll be back soon, we're at the theatre and maybe you should come down and see the play, he's amazing in it."

"Yeah, well if I could afford it I would, maybe you could get me a free ticket and send me the train fare if you've got yourself a good job and a rich boyfriend," Jackie joked.

"That can be arranged, why don't you come down Saturday night then we can take you back on Sunday? I can easily get you a ticket, I'll put some money in your bank and you come down on Saturday afternoon, we have a matinee at two but I can meet you, take you to my flat then you can come to the evening performance, get a taxi to the theatre and I'll get you backstage and you can meet the Jon and the rest of the cast, your favourite actress is in it."

Before Jackie could reply, the door handle turned and Jon walked in, wearing his crown and a silly grin. Rose shushed him and mouthed 'my mother' and held up her phone and he just smiled, kissed her cheek and sat on the sofa next to her.

Jackie was babbling something down the phone which Rose pretended she had been listening to and was trying to fight off Jon who was busying himself kissing her neck and not taking no for an answer.

Rose finished her arrangements with her mother, who was going to check the train times and go to the library computer to look up Jon and couldn't believe she and Rose were the only ones on the planet who really knew who he was. Rose just had to trust she wouldn't mess things up when she met him but she had little choice than to let her in on it.

When Jon had finally finished with her neck and she had gained another mark on her fading one, she told him of her plan get her mother a ticket for the play on Saturday and to take her back home on Sunday and stay overnight. He liked the idea but Rose knew the Doctor would have quivered at such an idea, Jackie was his nemesis. Rose wondered if her mother was the real reason his old self had shied away and hoped it wouldn't put him off when he was back if this truly did carry over.

Saturday morning, Jon had already moved his things into Rose's room or 'their' room so Rose was tidying up for the royal visit, Jackie had sent her a text to say what time she was arriving, just after twelve and Jon didn't have time to go with Rose to the railway station even though it was only a few minutes from the theatre, the matinee was a two so they were going in early to get him ready and Rose would slip out, get a taxi home, leave her mother and get the taxi to bring her back.

All went smoothly, Rose had secured a good seat for Jackie and had arranged for her to come backstage before the evening performance and they were going to get some food sent down, they would just have enough time so Rose had pre-ordered for the three of them. She kissed Jon goodbye and went to meet the train and settled her mother in, giving her the taxi number and fare and for the taxi to bring her to the stage door although Rose knew it would already be busy with waiting fans even after he had been out to sign autographs.

The matinee over, Jon went outside as usual, Rose watching from a distance then insisted he lie down until her mother arrived Rose having to escort her into the theatre, Jackie in awe that Rose had wrangled such a prestigious job even if it was all a pretence and her daughter's gall in inventing such a story because Rose had explained to her that she had given the general idea, the Tardis had filled in all the blanks.

Jackie was introduced to her favourite actress and got her autograph, she didn't know if it was going to all fade away when it was over but she knew in her own mind it had taken place if nothing else. Then Rose took her into Jon's dressing room, knocking and going in first and Jackie stood there with her mouth open, staring at who she knew was the Doctor, with long flowing hair. He got up and held his hand out to her, then took hers and kissed the back of it, which took Jackie aback to say the least and wondering if he really knew what was going on and was winding her up.

After quickly eating, Rose took her mum out to be escorted to her seat by one of the ushers with instructions for him to collect her afterwards and be brought back to Jon's dressing room. Rose gave Jon his usual good luck kiss that lasted a bit longer than it had been resulting in two knocks at the door until he answered and when the performance was finished and Jackie was brought backstage again, she was totally convinced he was who everyone else believed him to be, a famous accomplished actor and if Rose was of a mind right there and then to persuade her otherwise she would have told her not to be stupid and Rose was under the assumption that somehow, her mother had also been mesmerised into thinking it was all real and she wasn't going to be any trouble.

All the way back to their flat, Jackie was going on about the play, how this was the first time she had seen one by Shakespeare and how much she had enjoyed it and she carried on talking until gone one in morning, Rose falling asleep on Jon's shoulder as he was chatting away to Jackie about everything and nothing, something he certainly had in common with his old self, some things never change and Jackie had got into the whole thing of who he was meant to be and had either done a lot of research or was completely now under the illusion, more so than earlier.

Jon realised Rose was getting tired and said it was time to say goodnight, Rose had told him her mother knew they shared a room which for the last few nights, that was mostly all they had been doing, just more of what they had done on the sofa but since they had company Rose knew that would more than likely stay that way tonight at least and tomorrow, they would be staying in her old room at her mum's flat. Jackie would be horrified to think of Rose sharing a room in her flat with the Doctor, even if he was in Human form but if she was under the spell then she probably wouldn't object. Rose was hoping the spell wouldn't be broken. Maybe now she had seen him, seen what he could be like, it was just easier to accept that her daughter was indeed in love with him, alien or not and was just keeping up the pretence for Rose's sake.

Rose was indeed tired and got ready for bed, they were no longer hiding from each other and Rose had ditched the pyjama bottoms in favour of a clean pair of her knickers which she was still changing in the bathroom and Jon had ditched his t-shirt and he was in the process of getting her to ditch her vest top altogether though more often than not it came off at some point but he hadn't tried anything else just yet, keeping his promise to keep his shorts on although when Rose came back from the bathroom, he had sneaked on the even shorter boxers and he just winked at her and acted like there was nothing different.

They were both enjoying the feel of each other through the thin material of their underwear although Rose could feel slightly more of him than she was used to but tried not to think too much about it. After all, if he was just another boyfriend, it would have come to this stage already. As they kissed and touched, Rose thought that maybe, just maybe, if he rejected her when he changed back, she might actually be able to persuade him to give it another go because as relationships went, this was the best one she had ever been in and if he remembered everything, he might want to give a proper go as well. It was no different to falling out then making up again and she didn't think he would just go off and leave her after three months of actually being together, well not without a fight anyway.

They kept their noise down as Rose usually giggled at some point, well when he took her vest top off and stated licking her breasts, which tickled slightly and when she got her revenge by doing the same to him, they eventually fell asleep and because Rose was so tired, couldn't be bothered to put her vest back on, which pleased Jon no end as when she woke up the next morning, he was tracing his finger on the one breast he could reach and was wide awake, smiling as he watched her sleeping.

They could hear a noise coming from the kitchen which meant Jackie was cooking breakfast so they skipped their usual messing around, Rose saying it was best not to keep her mother waiting when she was cooking so he just settled for more kissing before they got dressed and they walked hand in hand into the kitchen. Jackie didn't even seem bothered, she just dished up their breakfast and going on about if they were going to show her around the town before she left and how Rose had just dumped her in their flat for hours when she'd arrived.

So they showed Jackie around for a few hours, stopped for some lunch at a pub down by the river then set off for London to take Jackie home and stay overnight. On the long drive back, Jackie was telling Jon all about her struggling to bring Rose up on her own and Rose was silently praying she wouldn't say anything about her going off with an alien in a police box because as far as Rose could gather, nothing had ever taken place, not a single occurrence of spaceships crashing into Big Ben, no shop window dummies coming to life, no spaceship hovering over London on Christmas day, nothing.

Then Rose had a horrifying thought, if she hadn't gone off with the Doctor and nothing had ever happened, was Mickey still there? Or another version of Mickey who also had never met the Doctor, not gone off to that parallel world and stayed there? Jon noticed she had gone quiet and asked if there was anything wrong.

"Sweetheart, you've been very quiet since we left, is everything ok? Your mother and I aren't boring you are we?" he teased. ''Do you want to stop for a while, we can find a café, if you want?"

How could she ask her mother if Mickey was still around? Was he still supposed to be her boyfriend or had she left because of him? No, the Tardis wouldn't do that, surely? The ship may have left a version of Mickey but wouldn't make it so that Rose was still involved with him. After all, she was supposed to have been working in the theatre for a while but maybe this pre-Doctor of a Mickey still had some feelings for her even though she had gone off to live elsewhere, just like the real Mickey had and she knew the real reason why Mickey had not come back with them, he was jealous of her friendship with the Doctor and couldn't take any more and who could blame him? She had literally dumped him to go travelling the stars and forgot that he had feelings and could be jealous, especially after the regeneration.

Now she was contemplating doing the same with the Doctor, although she had not exactly dumped him if it was another version of him but she would be dumping Jon when he changed back, again he was the same person, just a different side of him. Would it be fair to let him fall too deeply for her then have it taken away? Maybe not, not if he remembered everything and she was sure he would. Anyway, she still had to find out if there was indeed a Mickey waiting her return or if she was worrying over nothing, as usual and as for Jon, well, the Doctor was going to get exactly what he wanted and she was fairly certain he would have prepared for it, what was the point in experience being a Human male if he didn't remember it?

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Jon pulling into a lay-by and asking if she was ok, she was going to have to stop zoning out on him or he'd get worried about her. He asked her again at the same time as Jackie did, who by now had her seat belt off and was leaning over Rose.

"Rose, Sweetheart, is there something wrong? You keep doing that you know, you keep looking like you're miles away and I'm really worried about you." Jon had his seat belt off and was leaning over her, one arm around her, Jackie's hand on her other shoulder.

"She's not been the same since…" Jackie stopped.

Rose cringed, was she going to say since she first flew off in the Tardis? "Please no," she thought.

"Go on Jackie, since when? Is there something you haven't told me Rose, did something happen to you before I met you or before you moved away from London? You have to tell me Rose, it doesn't matter what it is because I love you, you know that."

Jackie was the first to speak. "You might as well tell him Rose because he'll find out sooner or later or should I tell him?"

The moment Rose had been dreading had arrived, her mother was either going to tell him who he really was or about to tell him about her going off with an alien, which would then make her certifiable and he would leave her.

Rose finally found her voice. "I'm fine really, I just sometimes phase out, it's nothing. It's like I get to thinking about something and forget I'm with someone, like I don't want to forget and then I realise someone's talking to me. I can't explain it and it's nothing to do with what you think it is Mum, really, can't you just forget about that? I have." It was a wild stab in the dark, hoping to find out what her mother seemed intent on telling Jon but he'd want to know now anyway and it was better Jackie told him, since Rose didn't actually know what she was going to come out with.

"Sweetheart, if it's about an old boyfriend or something that happened to you, it's ok, you can tell me. I don't care about your past, all I care about is the time you've been with me since we met and the time we'll have together because I know this isn't the right time or place and you probably don't want to talk in front of your mother but it's time we started making plans Rose, you and I, together because when that play finishes, I'm not walking away from you, if that's what you're thinking, you don't have to worry about me going off and walking into a new production and forgetting about you. We'll talk when we get back but don't you go thinking you're going to get rid of me in two months time Rose Tyler, because you're very much mistaken if you think I'm ever going to leave you behind."

Jackie was taken aback with Jon's sudden declaration towards her daughter but she had probably suspected that he really did care about Rose, so she just kept quiet, letting Rose talk to Jon.


	8. Chapter 8

"Yeah, we really do need to talk when we get back and I really didn't think you were the type to just up and leave." She smiled at him as Jackie chipped in and told them to just kiss and make up and could they please stop somewhere else because she needed the ladies room.

Jon gave her a kiss on the cheek and prepared to drive off, giving her hand a squeeze and they stopped half an hour later at a pub and ordered some tea and sandwiches, they were still a fair distance from London and it was late afternoon. Rose and Jackie went to the ladies room and Rose asked her mother what she had been going to say about her back in the lay-by, not daring to ask her whether she was acting or genuinely gone with the whole situation.

"What exactly were you going to tell him back there, Mum? Were you going to tell him about Mickey? It was over a long time ago with him, you know that." Rose wasn't sure if Jackie knew the reason why Mickey had never come back with them but what if he was still around, what would happen then? They may have broken up under different circumstances but they couldn't still be together, surely?

"Rose, I don't know how you and Mickey fell out, probably because you took that job two years ago and you said you were never coming back. He's a proper misery now, has a different girlfriend every time I bump into him, no wonder they don't stay with him. Rose, this will only be the second time you've actually come back home since you left and then when you rang, inviting me to see the play and meet your new boyfriend, well it was a bit of a shock since he's not just anyone, I mean, trust you to start going out with a famous actor who just happens to be the one you've had a crush on for the past few years and if I were you, if you intend him sleeping in your old room with you, I'd take the pictures of him down first."

Rose could feel herself turning red and rushed into the nearest cubicle, her mother was fully under the illusion, it must have happened when she met him and now she truly believed everything. Now she had no ally, no-one else to confide in, no wonder the Doctor had wanted to keep her out of it. If she hadn't brought her to meet Jon, she could have at least talked on the phone about him but eventually, Jackie would have slipped up and spoilt the illusion or worse. Even if Rose had never told her, someone would have talked about him, Jackie would have said he looked like Rose's friend and would have been asked loads of questions. Just as Rose had thought, one look-a-like was more than enough for her mother to handle. Now she had to risk facing Mickey again and hope Jon would accept it and she had to trust the Tardis had done her job and protected her from coming under the illusion because if she fell under it, there was no getting the Doctor back, not unless she came across the watch and if intended to take her with him when the play was over, the watch would be lost because it was hidden so well, she would never find it and it would be left behind.

He would remain Human and have a normal life, one he thought he could never have, with her and the Tardis would remain hidden in the bushes behind their apartment forever, until the land was redeveloped and by then, they would be living in London or somewhere, he'd never even said where he was supposed to live, maybe the address, wherever it was, was fake and there was nothing there. The flat Rose was in maybe the only thing that was real and after the three months was up, she really would have to start paying rent but if she had left him by then, she would have gone back to her old life anyway but she had a responsibility to him, to keep him safe and open the watch, no matter how much she wanted him to remain Human.

That would have been why he had changed the terms, so he wouldn't wander away from her, it would have been too much of a risk going off with someone else, then she would have had to confront him and force him to open it because on closing night, she would have to show him it and if he'd gone off with another woman, she would have to take it to the theatre and besides that, how uncomfortable would it make her feel, tending to him with his hair and make-up then seeing him walk off with someone else?

No, it was up to her to get him through this and all ideas of her not being able to give him the watch had to put out of her mind as her mother shouted if she as ready to go. Jon was waiting patiently, finishing the last of the tea and smiled at the two of them. They continued their journey, Rose making sure this time she joined in the conversation now and then even though she had plenty to think about, making plans with Jon for one, the most important one because now, they were in a committed relationship and the game had progressed to the final stage, with still two months to go. At this rate, she would be getting him to open the watch sooner rather than later. Jackie gave the final directions to the Powell Estate, Jon not to sure about leaving his rented car but Rose said it would be fine.

Thankfully, Jackie had tidied Rose's room because everything had been thrown around the last time she'd been home for a visit, which wasn't that long ago and at least now, she had some idea how long she had supposed to have been at the theatre and if it was two years, that meant she was twenty two or thereabouts, since it was still the same year. It was still a big age gap though, if he was thirty five but not as big as being twenty and nine hundred. Rose had taken their bags into her room, keeping him out and sure enough, there were pictures of him all over the walls, the Tardis was going to hear about this when she got back to the ship.

After talking for hours, Jackie making something to eat and watching some TV, Rose was ready for bed and told Jon he could stay up and watch more TV if he wanted but he said he'd seen enough, it was almost ten when the doorbell rang. Jackie didn't know who it could be at that time, she wasn't even expecting any of her male friends, or so she said and Rose told her not to open the door without the chain on and her phone nearby but Jon volunteered to answer it until Rose thought it maybe Mickey and thought she should go with him. It was Mickey, larger than life and Rose couldn't understand as she had left him not that long ago on another world. The Tardis must have added him to the illusion since really, he should have been here but then it dawned on her, all the time she had been playing at The Doctor being Human, she had never actually checked the year. Was it possible the Tardis had taken her back a year, to coincide with her life before she had met her first Doctor and that was why nothing had happened? That was the only explanation, even when she had looked at the rent book, she hadn't taken any notice of the year or had the Tardis been shielding it from her?

"Rose, I heard you were back, Shareen saw you earlier, why didn't you phone me? Who's this bloke with the long hair, you going out with a hippy now?"

Jon looked a bit put out, grabbing his ponytail and looking at Rose, who just smiled at him, reassuringly.

Jackie heard his voice and called him inside, Jon and Rose stepping to one side and closing the door. Rose was not looking forward to this but at least this Mickey was the genuine pre-Doctor one and it reminded her of why she had left and gone off with the Doctor in the first place.

"Mickey, this is Jon, play nice while me and mum go make some tea. Jon, this is Mickey Smith, my ex-boyfriend from two years ago who I left to go work at the theatre and I emphasise the ex bit so whatever you want Mickey, you'd best say and go. We had a long drive here and we're tired."

Rose went off to join Jackie in the kitchen and hoped it wouldn't get too rough out there. She hadn't reckoned on this, as far as she knew, he shouldn't have been here but she should have paid attention to when they had landed, there again, she should be used to it by now but with something this important, like living a normal life and the Doctor doing domestics, she had assumed it was in their normal timeline.

When Rose and Jackie emerged with the tea, Jon was on the sofa, Mickey was on the chair and they were ignoring each other. Whether Jon had tried talking, Rose didn't know but she sat down beside him and took his hand.

Jackie was brave enough to break the ice because there was literally a block of it surrounding the living room. Jon clearly was uncomfortable even though he had told Rose he wanted to know what was wrong and Mickey didn't look like he really wanted to be there either and Rose could only imagine he had heard she was back and wanted to make up and she was making it quite clear by being there with Jon that she wasn't about to.

"Mickey, what you doing coming here at this time of night anyway, they've been here hours, they're only staying tonight then off back again tomorrow, they just brought me back home." Jackie drank her tea, looking around at the other three, Rose with her head on Jon's shoulder and Mickey doing his usual arms crossed in a huff thing. "Been to say the play he's in, it was the best play I've ever seen and I'm not into that Shakespeare stuff either, thought it was too stuffy but it was funny, Jon was really good in it, that's why he's got long hair, it's for the play. Did you actually think Rose was going out with a hippy?" She was laughing now and even Jon managed a smile.

Mickey was not impressed with who Jon was. "I didn't even recognise him, he looks different with long hair but I remember Rose wanted to go see him in the play just before she left but we couldn't get tickets." He was talking like Jon wasn't even in the room, probably on purpose. "Ain't that right Rose, remember, you pestered me to take you to see it and it was sold out, ha! Didn't want to go anyway." Mickey picked up his mug of tea and decided to keep quiet as Rose threw him a look that said 'shut up' without her actually saying it.

"So, was there an actual reason for your visit Mickey because if not, I'm off to bed, Jon, are you coming?" Rose got up and held her hand out to him and without hesitation, put his tea down and got up.

"Right, nice to meet you Mickey and yes, I don't wear my hair like this for fun, it's for the play I'm in and it doesn't come out so I'm stuck with it, for another two months. Not my first choice of hairstyles, I'll admit, think next time I might go for the spiked up look though. Nite nite then Jackie, glad you enjoyed the play, see you in the morning then." With that, he took Rose's hand and walked out of the living room.

Once in Rose's old room, she just burst out laughing. "Ha! Your face when he said you looked like a hippy!" and she continue laughing as he walked up to her, a big smile on his face and put his arms around her, kissing her forehead.

"So, you think it's funny do you?" he asked as he went to her ribs to tickle her and she tried to wriggle way. "I'll show you what funny is," as he caught hold of her and she shrieked. "Shush! We don't want your mother knocking on the door, it was bad enough last night when she was in the next room and I didn't get to do all the things I wanted to do to you but I'll give you a taster of what's to come, if you want?" He went for her neck as she stifled another shriek just in time as he pushed her down onto the bed. How could she resist that?

Mickey must have left at some point since Rose finally got away and went to the bathroom and her mother had gone to bed so she crept quietly around and back into her room, which seemed rather cramped with two of them just being cosy in her bed, which Jon seemed to prefer, giving him a chance to have the excuse for her sleeping even closer. He whispered to ask her when they got back to their flat if they could talk about maybe making some more permanent changes to their relationship, make plans and Rose had to agree to talk about it, how could she say otherwise? Just come out and tell him there were no long term plans that could be made? They had to at least discuss what he had planned because as far as he was concerned, he was moving on after the play finished and now apparently, he wanted to take her with him or make some other arrangements, that was what they needed to talk about.

Just as Rose was finally falling asleep, complaining he was taking all the room up in the bed, she settled draping herself half over him, although she had made him sleep in his t-shirt again since her mother was still around, he finally asked her the big question, in a round about sort of way, when were they going to actually have sex?

Rose nearly fell out of bed, which wasn't that difficult since she was clinging onto him and she asked him what had brought the subject up so suddenly.

"I really think we should talk about that when we get back, don't you? I mean, well, I suppose we'll get around to that, soon, it's just, I don't want to rush things, it's been two years since I even had a boyfriend and even then, well, nothing much really happened, we never went that far." She wasn't really lying, just stretching it a bit, Mickey had been her last boyfriend and they didn't take it too far, pretty much the same as her and Jon were now only she had gone out with Mickey a lot longer and supposed now that was the reason they had supposed to have split up, one of them hadn't wanted to go the whole way and she could only guess by Mickey's mood earlier that it had been her. The real reason in the real world was of course the Doctor had come along but even then, her and the other Mickey really hadn't gone far in that department.

"Rose, it's ok, I don't mean actually now, right this minute, well it's just I need to know how you feel about it and I don't want to rush you, maybe we can just take it slowly, if it's your first time, it should be special and we should both want it to happen, I can understand that, if you're scared. Please don't take it the wrong way, but I love you Rose and I want us to be together, properly. If you want?"

It was going to happen sooner or later, Rose knew that from the start but how could she make it stretch out another two months? They had committed themselves to each other now, he would expect to up the stakes, to ask her to become more intimate and she had no valid reason to give him why they shouldn't.

"When we get back, if you like, we can, well, be a bit more intimate and I'm not saying no to the sex bit, it's just I need you to be patient with me and take it one step at a time. Is that ok?"

Jon just held her tighter and kissed her and whispered, "Yeah, of course we can take it slowly, I just need to know you want to as much as I do and I'll wait Rose, as long as it takes, I'll wait but can we agree on just one thing?" Rose said yes. "That you won't make me make all the first moves, just tell me or show me what you like and we'll go from there and when it's the right time, we'll both know, ok?"

Rose had snuggled back up to him and softly whispered an 'ok' and fell asleep, happy that he had settled for agreeing to wait for her. Now she could relax a bit and enjoy the rest of the two months left with no pressure and boy was she going to enjoy them now.

The next morning, Jackie was up cooking breakfast again, Jon could smell it and followed his nose after getting out from the tangled mess of bedclothes and Rose lying over him and when she finally joined them in the kitchen, Jackie was talking ten to the dozen to a fascinated Jon who thought he was good at talking and was considering asking Jackie if she thought of taking up acting as a career. She sat opposite Jon and smiled and when Jackie left the kitchen asked if he wanted to have a look around London before they set off back.

"Actually Rose, there's somewhere I'd like to take you first, somewhere I need you to see, before we start making our plans. I want you to see where I live when I'm not away somewhere doing a play. A lot of the one's I'm in aren't that far away, I'm only staying away now because of the travelling, getting finished late at night but most of the time, I'm only an hour or so away. I'd like you to see my apartment, see if you like it and if you don't, well, we'll look for something else, together because when this play's over, I want you to come and live with me, if you want?"

"Wow, that really is making plans," she thought. "I'd love to go and see where you live, you never talk much about it, so where do you live? I'm sure I'll like it but what about my job and my flat, I can't afford to stop working."

"We'll worry about that later because I want you to come with me Rose, I can pick and choose the plays I'm in, I can pick the one's nearer home and don't worry about a job, I'll look after you or you can work in the theatres I'm in but I want to look after you Rose, if you'll let me?"

"Well, theatre management probably don't like outsiders coming in, I only know where I work they're not keen but you could say I'm your personal assistant or something. I've never had anyone who wanted to look after me before so I don't know what to say except I kind of like the idea. We have plenty of time to talk about it, so where do you live then?"

Rose was quite keen to see if there was an actual apartment but she supposed that in the event he had decided he wasn't going back to being a Timelord and leaving the Tardis for good, he would have provided suitable accommodation and an adequate means of living for himself if the case arose so it made sense to have the best. Maybe he could live out his life as an actor, he was very good at it. It was going to be very tempting when the time came for him to change back to let him stay as he was for longer, say the next forty years? No, she couldn't do that to him but she now loved him as Jon and he returned her love so she would just have to work on getting the Doctor part of him to love her as well.

They said goodbye to Jackie and made their way to Jon's apartment, it was in a nice London suburb, near the river and Jon said during the summer, there were boat trips and regattas. It was early May and there were some boats out when the passed by the river and arrived outside a modern looking apartment building with lots of glass and Rose was really impressed there was a security desk and the man on duty said good morning to Jon and addressed him by name. Jon even chatted to the man a few minutes and Rose thought it must be a really expensive place and she hadn't even seen inside yet but it did make sense that he should have something comfortable should he choose to remain Human.

They took the lift to the second floor, Rose admiring the décor as they stepped out, the Tardis had outdone herself, it was better than her flat, more signs of the ship being more favourable towards him but it was his Tardis, of course she would be on his side. Once he opened the door to the apartment, Rose immediately fell in love with it as she walked inside to a modern living room with a balcony which overlooked the river, as did the bedroom when she walked in and the bathroom and kitchen were on the other side overlooking the street. She turned to Jon and said she loved it.

"So, can you imagine yourself living here? At least for a while, we could look for a house together if the need arises or if you want more room. You really like it then? We could stay here tonight, if you wanted to? It will only take a few hours to get back tomorrow, we can be back in time. I need a few more things anyway to take with me, since we're here."

"This place must cost a fortune," Rose wondered out loud, to which Jon turned around and joined her on the balcony where she had wandered out, looking at the river below. "So is it expensive then, especially since you don't live here all the time, when you're not able to get back every night?"

"Actually, I bought it a while back, an investment from my early days, well with the money I made in my early days rather, better than leaving it in the bank, more money in bricks and mortar, or should I say mainly glass but I like where it is, sitting on the balcony watching the regatta and all the boats go by. You'll love it in a month or two when it starts getting busy, just in time for the end of the play. I could take a few weeks off to get you settled and we can go away somewhere, maybe Spain. Tell you what, we can go to Barcelona! Always wanted to go to Barcelona, how about you?" as he held her close and kissed her forehead then wrapping his arms around her.

Rose couldn't believe what he had just come out with, that was where the Doctor had wanted to take her just before his regeneration, not the city but the planet so somewhere deep inside him, the ideas were still there. She put her arms around his neck and said, "I'd love to go to Barcelona, with you," then she reached up to kiss him and said, "I love you Jon" and kissed him again.

He picked her up in his arms and walked into the bedroom, laid her on the bed and went to pull the blinds over, then took his shirt off and hovered above her, unbuttoning her top as she unbuttoned his jeans then dared to unzip them. If he wanted her to see his apartment, he was being serious about her moving in and the place was actually his, or was it? Was it all real? It had to be, it made perfect sense to have a place bought and paid for without having to bother with rent and things. She had to find out more but not right now, he had just unbuttoned her jeans and was pulling them down while she wasn't paying attention and they were now halfway off as she was offering no resistance which meant she was willing to participate.

He knelt over her and she put her hands on the waistband of his jeans and started pulling them down, Jon was smiling at her and moved so she could take them off, then he bent down and pulled hers off, tossing them away, then pulled off her top. He leaned down to kiss her breasts, still covered by her bra and whispered, "I love you Rose" and unfastened her bra. The kissing got more intense as he moved to one side and run his hand down her side, hovering it on her hip and just on the waistband of her knickers. He broke the kiss and looked at her, as though he was asking her permission, Rose didn't stop him as he lowered them over her hip, just slightly and leaned down, planting a soft kiss on her hip.

He was clearly telling Rose he expected her to do almost the same so she moved over and put her hand on the waistband of his shorts and pulled then down slightly to match her own, then he moved her onto her back and pulled the other side down, so her hips were uncovered, he was playing, to see how far she would go so she pulled the other side of his down and he lay on her, kissing her as they touched, then he buried his face into her neck and asked if she was ok with it. She said she was as she kissed his neck and they just lay, their hips touching, another step taken.

They got dressed and Jon suggested a pub he knew further down the river, so they walked down and on the way back, Rose stopped to take some photos of some baby ducks on the river and some photos of Jon, she wanted to remember him like this, with his hair in a ponytail, his tight jeans, his green striped shirt and his grey jacket, she wanted him to see he didn't have to wear that stuffy brown suit with a tie every single day, it wasn't like he didn't have any other clothes, she had now seen most of them, well the ones in the flat anyway and was about to see the rest of them. Jon took some photos of Rose and they managed to get on a boat for a short ride further down the river and then they walked back to Jon's apartment, stopping to get a few things on the way back.


	9. Chapter 9

All in all, they had a pleasant afternoon and it was nearly six when they got back, Rose wanted to get a shower since they were setting off back early in the morning and said they could watch a movie afterwards and make cheese toasties just like at home since they had stopped at a convenience store. Jon laughed and said this could be her home as well once the play finished. Rose just wished it was true, she would do anything to have an apartment like this but maybe they could, if it was really his, the Doctor's, if it was really paid for they could use it instead of going to her mum's flat. There was only going to be one way to find out.

So Rose had her shower, turning down Jon's offer to help, she had enough trouble coping as it was now they were in the final stage and someone was going to give in soon and they would be down to one of them losing the last of their underwear, then both of them but she couldn't back out now, it was a natural progression since they had talked about it. It could have been worse, he could have said he didn't want to wait but that was his nature, Human or not, he wasn't pushy or dominant, he was as far as she had observed, a very shy and sensitive person, unless someone or something got on his wrong side and even then, he would seek a peaceful solution before resorting to other methods and Jon had inherited his shy and peaceful side thank goodness and hadn't changed to being dominant.

She didn't know what she would have done if he had turned out to be dominant and wanted to have sex in the first few days, she would have surely lost him then and she had done quite well making it last a month and they hadn't got there yet but something was going to happen soon, very soon if earlier was any indication. She kept telling herself it was no different to any other man or woman getting to know each other and it wasn't as though he had said before this all started that he didn't even want to go there. All he had said was he wanted to prove he could be a Human male, and that's what Human males did, got interested enough with a woman to want to go there and if she wasn't careful, it would get to that, very soon so she was going to have to be very insistent she was really shy about it and get him to wait for her a bit longer but that didn't mean they couldn't get intimate as long as nothing really happened. He would probably be satisfied with being more intimate, it would let him know she wanted to eventually go the whole way, while keeping the event off long enough for him to change back. It was sort of a plan, one she was going to have to settle for.

Refreshed from her shower, she put the pyjama bottoms on and borrowed one of Jon's many t-shirts, he apparently had loads more and she went to join him in the living room and found him sat on balcony looking out over the river, seemingly miles away he didn't see her approach as she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

He got up and said, "Just think Rose, during the warm weather, we can sit out here, have lunch and when there are no performances, we can sit out in the evening and watch all the boats go past, all lit up, you'll love it Sweetheart, I know you will."

He was making it all sound so real and Rose just hoped it would all come true, well she had always wanted him to be Human and that had come true, sort of, maybe they could have a life like this, when they weren't travelling, it wasn't that impossible now, maybe this was just the beginning but they would have to go back to their own time, they couldn't stay in this time unless he remained human and Rose knew now of the dangers that were to come and in the Doctor's words, it would create a paradox if she remained with him she'd never meet him next year and the Earth would be in grave danger. Just maybe though, if he remained Human, the aliens that kept landing here might just stay away though, maybe he was the one they were all attracted to? Well the Sycorax certainly were, he said so himself but maybe not, in theory, if she never met him he wouldn't have been forced to regenerate and he wouldn't be here now, an endless paradox that she couldn't escape. The Earth used to be such a peaceful place in the time she was in now with no alien invasions.

Rose was just holding onto him as he was kissing her neck, then they walked inside and he closed the patio door and picked up the film they had chosen to watch and curled up in the chair with her. Rose was getting sleepy towards the end of the film, Jon had managed to get his hand up the back of the t-shirt which was working its way around the front, then when the film finished, he got up to make the cheese toasties and tea and they sat on the sofa until he asked her if she wanted to go to bed.

Rose didn't hesitate as she let him help her up off the sofa, they had definitely started something earlier that was going to get finished one way or another. So Jon went to take the dishes to the kitchen, Rose noticed he even had a dishwasher and he knew how to use it and Rose went to the bathroom and he was waiting for her when she entered the bedroom, his shirt was off along with his jeans and he was sat on the bed. He got up and pulled the t-shirt off she had borrowed and laid her on the bed, both of them down to one item of clothing and Rose knew one of them was about to lose theirs, maybe it was safer it was her.

He kissed her breasts and reached the waistband of her pyjama bottoms, pulling them down over her hips until they were only just covering her, then he stopped and looked at her, then he moved away onto his back, wanting her to do the same to him. Managing somehow to keep the pyjama bottoms over her hips, she worked her way down Jon's chest, down to his belly button and gently thumbed the waistband of his shorts, pulling them slightly over his hips. They kissed again as he moved her onto her back then asked if she would let him touch her. She whispered a 'yeah' and he pulled the pyjama bottoms lower, revealing her intimate area and began to kiss her hips, then lower down as she gasped, then moving his hand onto her inner thigh. He stopped again and asked if he could go further but she took his hand and placed it where she wanted it, well he had said for her to show him what she wanted and so he just let his hand be guided, then he leaned down and gently kissed where his hand had been and whispered, "I love you Rose."

He gently pulled his shorts down until he was just touching her as she let out another gasp as she felt him, this was going to result in them both losing the last of their clothing at this rate but he didn't try to take his shorts off, he just pressed against her, making her feel his closeness to her as he resumed kissing her breasts and since he seemed quite content, Rose took the first move and put her hands down his shorts, feeling his bum and pulled him closer. He looked up and smiled at her, she was giving him a reward and he knew it and went back to what he was doing. He looked up at her again, grinning like the cat that had got the cream and started to move off her, forcing her to remove her hands and he whispered to move over with him and lay on him and as he did, he pulled at her PJ shorts and took them off as he fumbled to pull his own shorts all the way down but she stopped him.

"Let's just leave it at this for now, can we?" gasped Rose. "This is just right – for now, let's not get to carried away for one night."

"Aw, alright, if it's what you want, it was just, well, you let me pull your PJ shorts off but you're probably right, let's not spoil things by getting too carried away, we should build up to it. There are lots of things we can do without actually going the whole way and we'll just do them until you're ready, I just want to get close to you, I wasn't going to try to go too far tonight Rose, I'd never do that without you wanting it, I just wanted you to lay on me so we could touch each other, find out what we both like, is that ok?"

Rose thought she had panicked too quickly, she should have known he wouldn't go back on his word to wait. She just had to trust him a bit longer and let it build up but there was no reason why she had to worry, she had gone this far with other boyfriends and it hadn't bothered her and she really wanted to be with Jon.

"Yeah, ok, this is just nice, we could definitely do more of this," she said as rested on him.

They kissed some more, Jon wrapped his arms around her and asked her if she was tired and when she said she was, he reached for her PJ bottoms and helped her on with them, pulling his own shorts back up and Rose settled on him and fell asleep after he had kissed her some more.

Week 4

They were up early the next morning, setting off early, Jon taking a few more things with him now he wasn't in the hotel and they arrived back in plenty of time to go to the theatre. They had decided on the following Saturday night they were going back to the other apartment and come back on the Monday morning and Jon suggested Rose found out about giving notice on her flat and make arrangements to move. Rose just wished she was doing it for real instead of going through the pretence of making plans to move, the only place she might be moving to would be her mum's flat if the Doctor rejected her after it was all over but she didn't think he would do that to her but she might decide herself, if she fell really deeply for him and it was getting that way. He might want to go back to being friends but she wasn't too sure she could, not now, it would be just like going out with someone and splitting up which she used to be able to do but not with him.

They spent their nights getting closer after Rose started letting him take his shorts off and they discovered what each of them liked after a few failed attempts by Jon to get Rose to start letting him and they finally both started sleeping with just Jon wearing his after Rose said she couldn't sleep without anything on but she went back to wearing some skimpy knickers but she usually lost them when she woke up.

On the Saturday morning, Rose had packed them an overnight bag each so they could set off directly after the evening performance but they got delayed after it was announced in the afternoon that there was going to be a photo call which had been brought forward. Rose was annoyed to say the least as it meant they wouldn't get away until late and she was going round asking everyone if despite who was called first if they would let Jon as everyone knew by this point that they were together and said they were going off afterwards. Most of them said it was fine except a few who said they were also going home and she should have known Mark would object but when Rose pointed out to the others they had a fair way to travel, some of them said ok.

It was almost twelve when they got away, Rose thought Jon was too tired to drive and she couldn't so Rose suggested they just went home and got a few hours sleep and set off early, they wouldn't loose any time so Jon set an early alarm and they got there in time for breakfast and Jon showed her around the small town. He treated Rose to a new dress to take her out that evening, a nice restaurant that Rose thought was far too posh for her but they had a lovely time and Jon didn't get stared at too much as people looked at his hair but a few recognised him and Rose was sure they were going to get in the papers now but since her mother was no longer the only other person who knew the truth it didn't matter now, let them put her name all over the papers with him, a few more weeks and it would all be gone, the spell would be lifted and no-one knew Jonathan Smyth had existed.

Rose was going to talk to him about that, to tell him not to shield her in the press, she wanted everyone to know she was going out with him. Before they had begun their relationship, she had read he had a girlfriend but Rose didn't know what had happened to her and Jon didn't volunteer any information so she had left it so when they got back to the apartment, they had opted to get a taxi so they could have a drink and Rose had bought some new underwear when she had been getting her dress, Jon was teasing her on the sofa and she asked him if he planned on revealing her name to the world if he did any interviews.

"Well I wasn't planning on doing any interviews but yeah, if the subject comes up, I'm not going to hide you but you might get some stick from my fans though," he joked.

This was Rose's chance to find out if there were any supposed ex's in the picture. "So, you met my ex last weekend, is there anyone I should be worried about, should my name end up in the papers with you?"

"Na, haven't had a girlfriend for over a year, she left me, went to the USA, said she wasn't coming back. She said I spent too much time in the theatre. There's no jealous ex Rose, you don't have to worry about that. So was it two years since you broke up with Mickey?" Rose nodded. Well in this timeline it was anyway. "He seemed to have some sort of grudge against me, was he thinking you had gone back to see him by any chance?" Rose didn't actually know why Mickey would have a grudge against her new boyfriend but his reaction to the Doctor had given her a pretty good idea he didn't handle rejection well.

"When I left two years ago, I told him it was over and I wasn't coming back and in that time, I've only been back twice to see my mum and not him. He was just a boyfriend, it was nothing serious, I was young, too young to be serious but he wanted more and I didn't so I left and because I would have seen him all the time, I got that job and moved."

Well it was sort of true, she had gone off and left him, just not for a job. "We grew up together, he's older than me and I wasn't ready. When we started going out I was only seventeen, it was just for fun, to say I had a boyfriend. I never intended to make anything else of it." Looking back though, it was true, she never expected herself to go out with Mickey for so long but would she have stayed with him if she hadn't gone off with the Doctor? She would never know now but she was grateful that the Tardis hadn't provided the Doctor with a love rival for her affections.

"So what about us Rose, about me? I want to be serious with you, you now that and you haven't run away. I hope I'm more than just a boyfriend, am I? We've moved in together, I want you to come and live with me, here, when the play's over and you said you would. I want to take care of you, look after you, not just financially but in every way. Is that what you want Rose? I want you to be my partner, not just my girlfriend, will you? Will you be my partner, my other half?"

Rose didn't know what to say. It was a big step in their relationship, a sign he wanted to make a commitment and yes, she knew he wanted to be serious but so did she now, at least for two more months or thereabouts and making a commitment to him would let him know she was serious and if he knew she was serious, he would wait, if she gave him a time frame. She looked at him, he had already unbuttoned his shirt and Rose put her hand on his chest and went to kiss his neck, crawling on him and said, "Yes, I want you to look after me, no-one else has ever wanted to do that for me and you are more than just a boyfriend, a lot more and I want you to be my other half, my partner because I love you, I love you so much because you the kindest most considerate man I have ever met."

She started kissing his neck, then his chest as he unzipped her dress, slipping it off and seeing her new sexy underwear to which he smiled and said "I love you Rose, you've just made me really happy."

He moved from under her, taking a real good look at her new underwear and letting out a whistle before laying on top of her, kissing her breasts that were still covered, hovering over her as she unzipped his trousers and pulled them down and he wriggled out of them, then he pulled her knickers down, then his shorts and said, "I want you Rose, if only part of you, just tell me when to stop but I want you, tonight, now."

He touched her thighs and opened her legs then laid on her, just like they had been doing for the last week but this time, Rose could feel him start to do more and it felt like she was going to burst with the sensation, it was just for a few moments, the initial touch but as he moved further, she whispered it was ok for him to do so until she felt him move further and the sensation increased, it was pure pleasure, she had never felt anything like it. He asked if she was ok as she moaned and she dug her fingers into him to say she was ok but he never moved any further, he just stayed where he was and Rose could feel he was experiencing the same pleasure as she was as he whispered her name.

Rose knew she had never experienced anything like this before but Jon was older, he had been fashioned to behave like a male of his age who would have been experienced and he had needs too and by the sound of it, they were being satisfied as they both moved and Rose let out a cry.

He thought she was uncomfortable but she said she wasn't, she wanted him to stay where he was so he did for a while before moving away and she felt a rush as he did, she felt excited and relieved that they had reached this far in their relationship. She was sure Jon was feeling exactly the same.

Week 5

Now they had got almost to the final stage of their relationship, Jon never pressed her to go the whole way, they were comfortable with each other, Rose was letting Jon do more, he would let her have more pleasure out of their intimacy and never asked her to do any more than she wanted and they were both happy. It showed outwardly in both of them and caught the attention of people who saw them out together and finally, it hit a gossip column of the local newspaper and of course it was picked up by the nationals but it was inevitable, they didn't mind, Jon was quite relieved it had finally come out in the open and they didn't try to squash the rumours. He was a bit annoyed when a local reporter asked them for an interview but Rose said they should, she wasn't bothered about it and said they would be best getting it over with.

Jackie of course saw the papers, she was on the phone the same morning, telling her she had left herself wide open for jealous fans but Rose knew deep down it wasn't going to last much longer, she could put up with it for a few weeks and they were in the theatre most of the time anyway, they just had to get used to it although Jon was supposed to have been through it all before and wasn't keen on the whole experience but after the week was up, most of it had died down and after Jackie insisting to speak to him and gave him one of her lectures, he got away with a warning that if he broke her heart, he would answer to her.

Jon had assured Jackie he was most certainly not going to break Rose's heart and told Jackie of their plans to move to London after the play was over and Rose would go either touring with him or he would take parts in plays nearer home. Jackie said he should consider going into TV work, get a regular part in a TV programme but he wasn't keen on that idea. After promising he would take great care of her daughter, Jackie was reasonably satisfied and wanted them to visit the next bank holiday but Jon had other plans for that weekend that he wasn't even telling Rose.

Week 6

Jon still hadn't told Rose what he had planned for the bank holiday so Rose thought they were just going to the other apartment as usual but she was in for a surprise because somehow or another, Jon had wrangled the Saturday off although he knew it was extremely rare for them to cover him for two performances unless he was taken ill but he had managed to persuade the director to let them both take the time off since others had taken time off even though he knew there might be a lot of disappointed fans.

They had been together for almost five weeks and Rose knew it was nearly halfway through the three months and nothing major had changed between them, except their love for each other had grown and they weren't afraid to show it either in the theatre or when they were out and Rose was even standing at the door while he was signing autographs and they left together being escorted through the crowds. Their names were being linked together everywhere and they never denied anything but mostly the press left them alone. Jon was invited to a radio interview which would be recorded at a local radio station instead of going to London and Rose went with him. Crowds were gathered outside as the two of them went in hand in hand, questions coming from the fans about their relationship which Jon politely but firmly refused to answer and no doubt the fans were now starting to get just a little jealous of Rose but since neither of them took to the social networking sites, they weren't bothered about what was being said. Rose knew it would all fade away soon anyway.

On Friday afternoon, Kay had asked Rose and Jon to dinner over the bank holiday but when Rose said they were going away and they had made plans, Kay got a bit annoyed with Rose, saying she hardly knew her any more and she spent all her time with Jon in the theatre instead of with the others but Rose pointed out she had lots of work to do and he required a lot of attention which was the reason she wasn't looking after anyone else but Kay wouldn't accept it and Rose was upset especially when Kay was catty about her getting the Saturday off when she found out and some of the others weren't happy. When they got back on the Friday night, Rose was in tears even though she didn't really know Kay, it was the way she had turned against her that hurt and Jon tried to console her.

"Rose, Sweetheart, don't get upset, it's not worth it, why don't you let me cheer you up? Tell me what I can do to make you feel better? Shall I make you some tea and you can tell me all about it or do you just want to go to bed?"

Rose was feeling everyone but Jon was turning against her, she didn't even have her mother now, well she did but not to confide in, only to talk about her romance with Jon, not what was really going on. Rose still couldn't believe she was the only one left who knew the truth and was sorely tempted to leave things as they were other than the knowledge she had of what was really to come, alien invasions and live killer shop window dummies being amongst them. If only she hadn't invited her mother to see the play, Jackie might still have been on her side of things.

"I just want to go to bed, I just want you to hold me, I feel like everyone is turning against me and on top of that, my mother is giving you a lecture, I feel she's going to drive you away on top of everything else. I couldn't bare it if she put you off and you left me." She buried her face in his chest and held on to him.

His arms were wrapped around her, holding her as tight as he could so not to crush her and just let her sob, rubbing her back and kissing her cheek. Then he said, "Come on, let me take you to bed and tomorrow, we'll get up early and you'll see where I'm taking you, why I got us the time off because I've got something I want to ask you, something really special and I want things to be just right, I don't want you to be upset for when we set off."

So they just lay together as Jon comforted her and the following morning, Rose was feeling better and showed him it when he woke her up even though he said it would make them late setting off, he figured she needed it. She hadn't taken much notice when he'd said he had something to ask her but it suddenly struck her, surely he wasn't going to propose to her yet? It was barely six weeks, far too soon. No, it had to be something else about their relationship, he'd already asked her to become his partner, asked her to give up her job and go live with him in London, she had to give her notice that she was leaving soon plus he'd already promised he wouldn't take things beyond her being comfortable with so she didn't know what was left.

If he asked her to marry him she was going to have to stall but how? Ask him to wait for her answer? He was already waiting for her to say she was ready to go the whole way, he wouldn't take waiting for her answer very well on top of it. She was asking too much of him to do that. Maybe if that was it, she could somehow combine the two, tell him she would give him her answer and when she did, she would finally go the whole way but would he wait six weeks? She didn't think so, he might wait for one but not for both, a few days maybe but not six weeks.

As they set off, she had no idea where they were going, he was giving nothing away except he had insisted on doing his own packing for 3 days and was very secretive about it. They talked and sang along to the radio, they both loved all the old songs so the radio station was always the same. She was trying to find out where they were going and passing different signs gave her no clues as to their intended destination, they could have been going anywhere. She was getting fidgety and started asking questions like how far it was and how long it would take but he was keeping her guessing. He'd not said to bring her passport which was just as well, she didn't have it with her but it had taken quite a while to even get that out of him and so she just had to enjoy the ride. Not that driving with him was a bad thing, she had got used to the way he drove, he was quite good, although they travelled mostly at night to their other apartment and by the time they left on the Monday morning the traffic had eased so driving mid morning was a novelty to him but he didn't seem bothered.

At one point, Rose thought they were driving towards the channel port of Dover, seeing frequent signs for it but after around two hours, he pulled off the main road and drove down a country road until just coming into view was a castle. Rose had heard of this castle and had always wanted to visit but it was a bit far for a day trip for her and her mum plus it was expensive but she also knew there was a rather equally expensive hotel attached to it and couldn't believe he was actually taking her there. This was it, he was going to propose to her, he wouldn't have brought her here for something other than asking her the big question. What was she going to do? Six weeks of being engaged to him then nothing, going back to maybe being just friends if he didn't get mad at her for saying yes when he'd told her not to let him get married. There again, he'd not told her not to let him at least ask to get engaged.

As they drove up to the hotel it was everything she had imagined and she knew they were going to get some looks from the other guests, he had long tied back hair that couldn't be hidden even if her mother had tried but hopefully he'd get recognised for who he was and he'd get away with it without too many stares and the odd few looking down their noses at them and the 'how can you allow that sort in this hotel?' but she supposed the hotel were used to famous people staying there.

It was the first time they have been away properly as a couple, going to her mother's hardly counted and apart from going to what Jon now referred to when they were setting off was their other apartment and spending a day out, this was their chance to let the world see them together in public. Jon checked them in but their room wasn't available until after lunch so they had to wait in the garden sipping ice-cold real home made lemonade then went in for lunch. They were shown to their room, well it was more like a suite with a four poster bed and must have cost a fortune for three nights so Rose knew now that he was going to propose, there was no other reason for all these elaborate surroundings. Anything else he could have asked on an afternoon out on the river or at home but this was going to extremes. On the other end of the scale, he wouldn't bring her here to dump her, to say thanks for the last few weeks but it's over between us and don't bother making plans and I'll get someone else to do my hair and make up, at least now after making a show of solidarity to the press.

Maybe that was it though, bring her here to split up in public and get the press off his back, maybe it had all been too much. He had kept his past relationships quiet compared with this, this had become very public, at his insistence though, she had tried her best to keep quiet. If they split up, she would have to leave the theatre immediately, people were becoming hostile enough and it would make it very difficult to get him to open the watch so if this was the end, she had to go back and get him to open the watch and end it, there was no way she could be intimate with him then let him go off with someone else. It would just be a failed exercise in being a Human, it would have to finish early.

If this was the time he was going to propose though, should she get engaged to him for six weeks or still end the entire charade? No, if she was going to lose him afterwards, she was going to give him the full works and enjoy showing off an engagement ring even if it was only for six weeks. It would give him an extra insight into being a Human male and give him an incentive to maybe carry it over when this was done.


	10. Chapter 10

Rose was over-awed at the room, it had a view of the lake with the castle in the background. Jon said they would go visit the castle the following afternoon and Monday, they would go for a walk around the lake and the nearby woodlands but the Sunday morning, he had booked her into the hotel spa for the full treatment while he was going to the sauna and they would meet for lunch.

She didn't know what to say when he told her of his plans for the weekend, she just held onto him and wouldn't let go. He had gone to an awful lot of trouble if he was going to just leave her, he would have not wanted to spend the whole weekend together surely? He would have wanted to get it over with and spend the weekend apart or was he trying to let her down gently? Give her one last weekend together then say goodbye when they got back home, he wouldn't leave her to make her own way back surely?

They unpacked the cases, then Jon suggested they went for a walk and see the castle then get changed for dinner, Rose was glad she had packed some of her better dresses the Tardis had supplied for her plus the one she had got on their first visit to Jon's apartment, Jon had said they would be going out every night and she was relieved he'd not packed all his t-shirts and had opted for proper shirts and he'd brought a suit from the other apartment and a very smart black one, some casual trousers and the jacket Rose like to see him wearing and he'd left his trainers behind and all in all, he was looking very smart, which all fuelled the thought it had the makings of a proposition, luxurious surrounding and him wearing his probably best black suit and it wasn't the one he had acquired when they were on Pete's world, she had never seen this one before, a more modern one.

They talked while looking around the outside of the castle, Jon said their hotel visit included admission so they checked the times it was open the following day then they went to sit down in the garden, ordering tea and scones, it was quite warm for the end of May and Jon seemed in a more than usual good mood so Rose reckoned it was going to be good news rather than bad, considering or maybe he was pleased he had found a good way of letting her down gently. Maybe he was going to let her think it was something good then go for the kill on the last day. Whatever it was, she just wished he would get on with it and get it over with but she felt sure he was going to leave it until the last minute, just like that night at her mother's when she was going to sleep, he'd decided to ask her about them having sex.

If he came out and said it tonight though, it would just prolong the misery of the weekend and they may just as well go back so no, perhaps it was best he left it, there would be some benefit in leaving it but it wasn't doing her any good and the suspense was killing her and if she asked, he wouldn't tell her, not when he wouldn't say where they had been going. They were talking quietly, Jon getting a few novel looks from some of the men who probably thought he didn't belong there and getting worried their wives were giving him the eye despite him being with a young blonde woman who looked nearly half his age and they were totally engrossed in each other.

Rose was attempting to get him to tell her why exactly they were there but having no success. He was just as bad Human as he was Timelord, when he didn't want to tell you anything, you got nothing out of him.

"Come on, tell me why we're here, can't you give me a clue, a little hint?" Rose asked. He shook his head. "Go on, if you don't tell me what we're were doing here soon, I'm going to have to resort to other tactics to get it out of you" she laughed, nudging him.

"Well, in that case, I'll look forward to it," he laughed back, taking her hand and squeezing it "but I'm still not telling you yet, you'll have to wait but I'll tell you this, it's something important Rose, very important and no trying to guess what it is because I won't give anything away. Now why don't we go get ready for dinner, Sweetheart?" he asked, looking around to see others leaving and two women who were sitting together eyeing him up as he took Rose's hand to help her up, kissing her cheek as he did and touching her bum on purpose then sliding his arm around her waist as he guided her through the tables.

Rose had noticed the two women as she got up and was aware they were staring at Jon and when he placed his hand on her waist, she slid her arm around him but not before when he put his hand on her bum, she moved making it look like she was enjoying, which she was. She was really enjoying the way he touched her but he didn't normally make a display of it when they were out but he did make a few exceptions to show off. If he was going to dump her, he wouldn't be making a show of affection in public to annoy two women, he would be flirting with them.

Back in their room, she decided she was going to slowly tease him to see if he would give her any idea as to what he was waiting to talk about and ask her. Maybe he wanted to ask her that if she didn't want to give herself to him fully after all, he was giving her the chance to say so and part as friends or just walk away. She had to get changed, she decided to wear the dress she had got the other week that he had treated her to and maybe he would ask why she had chosen that one. It wasn't too fancy a dress, she was going to leave the best one until Monday night or if he told her to get dressed up and she had bought some new underwear for the occasion, some that left nothing to the imagination, even more so than the last lot she had bought.

She asked him if he wanted to watch her get changed, they normally just undressed each other most of the time, Rose was no longer going in the bathroom to get ready for bed and now, she had to change anyway so it was time to make something out of it, to put any doubt out of Jon's mind that she was going to back out of their relationship and whatever it was he was going to ask her, that it wouldn't be if she wanted to leave him or give him a reason to leave her. Six weeks left, she had to last and had to start giving more instead of letting him do it all.

"So, loverboy, you want me to get changed in front of you?" she asked, swaying in front of him and taking off the cream coloured blouse she was wearing, button by button, revealing her black lacy see through bra and throwing the blouse at him.

He caught it and said, "What do you think, and what's with the loverboy? You know if you give me a name, I'll have to give you one, don't you, sex kitten?"

Rose blushed slightly but continued what she was doing as she slid down the black cotton trousers she was wearing and threw them towards him, which he caught. "OK, now you're going to fasten the dress I'm going to wear after I go get it from the wardrobe but first, you're going to come over here, throw me on the bed and snog the life out of me after you take my bra and panties off that is."

He didn't need telling twice as he moved towards her, stood over her and reached to unfasten her bra and while he was doing that, Rose was unfastening his trousers as he hurriedly stepped out of them, pulling her panties down at the same time. Then Rose unbuttoned his shirt as he moved her onto the bed and lay her down, crawling on top of her and looking down over her. This was the first time she had indicated to him she wanted sex in the afternoon, not that they got much chance and on top of the bed, not actually in it. She initiated things by grabbing his neck and pulling him down on top of her and they began snogging. Jon had taken his shirt off but he had left his shorts on, leaving up to Rose whether she wanted him to take them off or not.

Rose wanted to find out what he wanted to ask her and was using the process of elimination, if he was willing to have sex when she wanted to just before he told her, the chances were he was not intending leaving her. Time to put her theory to the test. She unfastened his hair so it hung loosely, took hold of the waistband of his shorts and tugged at them to pull them down. That gave him his answer as he turned over and pulled her on top of him, whispering her name.

"Well this is a nice surprise, I could get used to this, it's a shame we're usually in the theatre at this time. Maybe we should start locking my dressing room door?" he said as she began nipping at his neck.

It wasn't long before they were both calling each other's name as he gently moved against her, telling her to say when to stop as Rose was gasping at his touch. He made her feel like she was really special, that he really cared about her and was willing only to do what she wanted. As he moved against her sending pulses of delight to her, she kissed his neck as he buried his face in her neck and they lay together.

They slowly stopped and Jon tried to move to turn her around, both rolling over together until they stopped halfway and Rose suddenly let out a moan and began to move against him as the way they had moved had made her more excited, legs wrapped around each other and they began kissing deeply and Jon whispered he loved her and Rose knew whatever he was going to say, it was not they were breaking up as they continued.

They finally got dressed, Jon fastening her bra and the zip of her dress, nearly making them late as he was busy kissing her back as he zipped it up and just as he finished buttoning his shirt, getting away with Rose fastening it and taking three times longer as she was brushing her hair and putting on a little light powder on her face, he came up behind her and took a square box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a silver necklace with a pink rose and he placed it around her neck.

"I had it made for you Sweetheart, I hope you like it, do you? A rose for my beautiful Rose, it doesn't sound cheesy does it? I mean it Rose, you are beautiful and I love you and you're all mine, I mean at least I hope you're all mine, will you be mine?"

"It's lovely and unusual and I love it and no, saying that isn't cheesy, not in the least bit and yes, I'm yours as long as you're mine, you are aren't you? Even though nearly the whole female population on the planet are in love with you, you're only mine?"

"Rose, I'm only yours, no-one else's and I chose you out of the entire female population, because you're special, Rose Tyler, very special and earlier when we left the garden, I made a point of showing at least two of them that I'm yours," he laughed.

Rose knew he had done that on purpose, he didn't normally touch her bum even accidentally while they were out. The most they did was hold hands and kiss on the cheek or walk with their arms around each other but everything else was just for when they were alone.

After another kiss, they made their way down to the dining room, people were still staring at Jon, Rose had a mind to get their attention and tell them it was only long for a play he was in but didn't want them to get thrown out of the hotel so she kept quiet and stared back at them instead. They were talking all way through their meal and afterwards, they took a drink out into the garden, the terrace had just been lit up and Jon asked her how she was enjoying their break so far. Nothing though about what he had really brought her there for but if it was bad news, Rose thought she would probably rather wait until it was nearly time to leave but after the events early, she was seriously doubting that though but it was still at the back of her mind and she didn't want to confront him with it or it may really happen and spoil a perfectly romantic weekend.

Rose had gone quiet and he asked what was wrong. "Rose Sweetheart, you've gone very quiet, you're not going to start zoning out on me again are you? I thought you were ok now you've told me about Mickey? Or is it something else? You're not keeping any secrets from me are you because if you are, you can tell me and if it makes you feel any better, we can talk about them, there's still a lot you don't know about me, well when I say a lot, most of it is probably already on the internet but you don't want to believe everything you read on there. Even when I've given interviews, they twist everything around and take things out of context to twist it to their own purpose. Rose, tell me what's bothering you, please?"

Rose looked at him, deep into his gorgeous brown eyes and knew how much he loved her, she regretted even thinking he was going to break up with her, not the way he was looking at her now. "I'm sorry, it's just when you said you wanted to bring me away for the weekend, I didn't know what to expect, I certainly didn't expect all this and I think this afternoon, what with that four poster bed, I got a little carried away but I'm glad I did because I know you've been more than patient with me when I didn't expect you to be but I want us to start doing things like that, spontaneously, just seizing the moment to do something different and we just don't get the time. I just want to please you, I don't want you to think that giving myself completely to you is never going to happen because it will, I'm just not ready yet and I love all the things we already do, I'm just worried it's not enough for you, that's all."

"Oh Rose, it's more than enough and I will wait for you because you're worth it but I can't wait forever. OK, I was going to wait until Monday night to ask you but now seems as good a time as any to ask you what I brought you here for."

Rose thought this was it, he was finally going to ask her what was clearly working up to do. She told herself not to be disappointed if he didn't propose because she really wasn't ready for that, even pretending to be engaged for six weeks and have her mother start making wedding plans because Jackie wouldn't have waited a second to start the preparations.

"Rose, I do have something really important to ask you. I wanted to ask you…." He trailed off and took her face in his hands and kissed her, Rose's heart was pounding, wishing she was like the Timelord part of him that had two hearts as she waited for him to continue as he broke the kiss. "Sweetheart, you know how much I love you, we've had almost six wonderful weeks together and when you told me the other week you loved me, you made me really happy and I will wait for you but like I said, I can't wait forever so I know it's too soon for us to get engaged and you'd probably turn me down but I got you this."

He stopped and got a small ring box out of his pocket containing a pink sapphire rose shaped silver ring and placed it on her right hand. "This is a promise ring, a promise that when the time is right, I'm going to ask you to marry me and in return, I want you to promise me that when I do you'll be certain and give me your answer and I also ask you now Rose, tell me when you think you'll be ready to give yourself to me, not an exact date but I just need some indication as to how long before you'll be with me without reservation because I have never loved anyone the way I love you, my beautiful Rose."

As he placed the ring on her finger, she looked at him with tears in her eyes, no-one had ever said such beautiful words to her, looked at her in the way he was looking now and she took his face into her hands and said, "I love you Jon, I want to be with you more than anything." She kissed him and told herself she had to give him something in return, a promise of when she would be with him so she whispered in his ear, "Closing night."

He looked at her and was puzzled. "Closing night? Oh, you mean the night the play closes?" he smiled. "That's almost six weeks Rose and we'll have been together almost three months but if that's your promise to me, I accept. You do know it will be late when we get finished that night, don't you?" Rose nodded to him and kissed him again.

"Oh Rose, if it's four in the morning I won't care if you will really be mine, my love because I know you will make it well worth the wait. Can we settled on one thing definitely? That we'll work up to this in even more ways? Let's go to bed and I'll show you what I have in mind."

He got up and held out his hand to her and Rose stopped in front of him. Well it wasn't what she quite expected but it was a good thing, something solid, a real commitment and she had given him something in return but there was one more thing she wanted, something she could remember when it was all over that they almost got engaged. She took his other hand, held out the finger he had placed the ring on and said, "Then put it on my other hand, not as an engagement ring but I want to wear it on that hand, as a sign that I love you and let people think we're engaged, we'll just tell them that we're thinking about it and I wanted to wear something while we were."

He took the ring from the finger it was on and placed it on her left hand, kissing the back of it as he let go. "So, shall I show you some of the many ways then?" he smiled, taking her hand and leading her inside.

Rose followed willingly, she was more than happy now they had finally settled things between them, glad he had chosen not to wait when she had thought it was all going to end and she had made a promise to him and he wouldn't press her to give in now and on closing night of the play, when they got home, she could get him to open the watch, even if it was four in the morning and she would have accomplished what they set out to do, let him be a normal Human male who had fallen in love with her without doing the ultimate, without crossing the point of no return. If after he opened the watch he wanted to continue their relationship, she would be more than willing to do so. She just hoped he would remember absolutely everything if he did so they wouldn't have to go through it all again because she was quite happy the way things were.

Once in their room, Jon unfastened her dress, leaving her in her bra and panties and Rose unbuttoned his shirt, slowly this time, running her fingers on his chest as each button was opened, then unzipped his trousers for him as he stepped out of them and he led her over to the bed and as he pulled back the covers, took her underwear off and they kissed but before he took his shorts off he whispered he wanted to show her one of the ways they could work up to their ultimate goal.

Rose kissed his neck as she held onto him as he was looking down on her, he was lying on his side, kissing just under her ear and whispered, "Rose, I want to watch you, is that ok?"

Rose just nodded as he lay her back and instead of lying on her, he stayed on his side, watching her face as he gently touched her as she felt a jolt of pleasure wash through her, her face beaming as she moved her hand and touched his belly, she couldn't do much, she was tumbling over the edge with the pleasure he was giving her, their first time and he smiled with her, just seeing the delight she got from it until she arched up as she whispered his name.

He smiled down at her, she reached her arms up and grabbed his neck and they kissed then she let one hand fall to his shorts, tugging them down and it would have been so easy just to give in right there and then but he didn't ask her, he just lay on her and kissed her again, gently touching until they fell asleep.

The next morning, Jon woke her by kissing her neck and telling her it was breakfast time but he could order room service if she wanted. Rose declined and said she would rather go down to the dining room, she wanted to show off her ring. Jon didn't think that such a good idea and tried to persuade her to put it back on her other hand but she adamantly refused, holding her hand out and admiring it.

"I know it's not an engagement ring but this is where I want to wear it and when you do ask me, you can put this one back on my other hand but until then, this is where it stays, unless you really do object to me wearing it on this hand? You don't do you?"

"No Sweetheart, I don't object but everyone will get the wrong idea and it could cause all kinds of speculation, the papers will say we're just covering up the fact we got engaged by denying it, that's all and they've just started to leave us alone, you're just going to add fuel to the fire but if you are sure you can handle it, then no, I don't object to you wearing it on your left hand, it pleases me that you would want to wear it on that hand and once people get used to seeing it, there won't be as much fuss when I do buy you an engagement ring because I want to start making long term plans, if you do. We should start talking about when the play finishes and I don't just mean about us being together properly but about you moving in with me, giving up your job and your apartment, getting you a job in the theatres or getting you officially signed up as my P.A. If you become my personal assistant, it will get you in everywhere where I get a part in a play without any complications because you'll be working for me, not the theatres. What do you say Rose, what do you want to do? You don't have to work at all if you don't want to but it will make it easier, save you being at home on your own."

Rose didn't really have to think about it, there wasn't going to be an 'after the play finishes' at all, it was all going to end, no matter how much she would want a life like that but at least she knew he was including her in his plans, wanted to make them with her, long term plans at that. He was intending asking her to marry him in the near future, probably some time after the play finished but he would wait now, there was no rush, she had accepted his promise ring. He was looking at her as she just held onto him, he was holding her at arms length to see what she was going to say.

"Jon, I really want to start making plans too, with you. Being your P.A sounds just right, it will get me in everywhere you go, save loads of trouble with different places. I have to give a month's notice at the theatre and for my flat, the rent's paid anyway and most of the stuff isn't mine, it either came with the flat or it's Kay's she just left it, she'll have to get it moved. There's just my personal stuff to move. What exactly were you planning?"

"Well, I thought we could pack everything the day after the play finishes, hand your keys in then drive down to your new home and I'd take you out to dinner and who knows?" he smiled. "I'll book us a holiday in Spain, making sure we visit Barcelona of course, for just after the end of the play and we'll fly straight off. Then when we get back, I'll have to choose which role to take next, there's always loads waiting for me but I've been sending them back while I've doing this one. I should start looking at them again now. I've been thinking though Rose, about what your mother said, about doing TV, maybe I could do some TV plays, do you think people will watch me on TV or should I stick to the theatre?"

Rose thought he would be great on TV and wondered why he had supposedly stuck to the theatre but there again, there were lots of actors who never made the transition either way. As they got dressed to go down to breakfast, she told him so. "You'd be great on TV, you'd be even more popular then, more people would get to see you. Maybe you should think about it, especially after that live broadcast you were in."

Rose wasn't sure now if the actor she used to like even was an actor now, she hadn't heard of him so maybe Jon was the version of him in this illusion so in theory, Jon could have taken his place in popularity, after all, Jon could pass as his double and no-one had said anything or mistaken him for the Scottish actor. She must look him up and see what he was doing, make sure he was ok. She had been so busy involved with Jon, she had missed a lot of things, it had taken precedence over everything, keeping the Doctor safe as Jon.

Rose went to the spa after breakfast while Jon went to the sauna, they were meeting at noon for lunch then going to spend the afternoon going around the castle. Women in the spa spied her ring and asked if she was with the man with the long hair and asking if they were engaged and Rose tried to tell them they weren't but it didn't seem to make any difference so she decided to take no notice of them and enjoyed the spa. At least they didn't seem to know who he was. She was finished with the spa and Jon wasn't around so she went to wait in the lounge area and picked up a magazine. It only had an article about Jon in it, he must have done the interview a while ago since she didn't remember him going to any recently and she read with fascination the questions he was asked and was going to show him it when they met up but something disturbed her about the article.

She looked a the date on the magazine and it was only a week old but she figured that magazines didn't always print articles right away after interviews but from what she read, it made it seem like it was recent and although they had spent some time apart before going to the theatre such as going shopping or having errands to run he hadn't said he was being interviewed. He had been interviewed by a woman journalist and she had got quite flirty towards the end, asking him personal questions to which he had answered quite jokingly but they had printed it none the less along with a piece before and after the interview saying he was polite, charming and quite a ladies man.

She knew he could never have given this interview unless it had been given the day before they met in the theatre but he had the hair extension fitted, that would have taken a while and she didn't know exactly when he had arrived of course, it could have been just a few minutes or a day. Rose had a horrifying thought, what if the Tardis had landed him here weeks or months ago and he really had been living there but wouldn't her mother have known when Rose first told her about what they had done? Jackie had never heard of him so that couldn't be the case. Was it something else? Had there been a real Jonathan Smyth and the Doctor had taken his place? If there had, Rose had never heard of him unless…. No, it couldn't be!


	11. Chapter 11

She was interrupted from her thoughts by someone leaning over her shoulder saying, "You should never believe what you read in magazines you know. He kind of looks like me a bit, shorter hair and sideburns but definitely looks like me. Are you waiting for someone?"

Rose decided to play along. She held up her ring and said, "I'm waiting for my boyfriend, you might have seen him around. He kind of looks a bit like the man in this article but he has long hair tied back in a ponytail." She held up the magazine and was it taken from her hands.

"Well if I see him, I'll let him know you're waiting for him but are you sure you want to wait on your own? I mean, he may have stood you up and well, it would be a great shame for you to remain here on your own. Would you care to have lunch with me and if he doesn't show, then maybe you could spend the afternoon with me? I have tickets for a tour around the castle." The magazine was handed back.

"Well, I may just take up your invitation since he doesn't seem to be around but I don't know what you look like since you're standing behind me. Why don't you come round here and let me see you or you afraid I will decline your invitation should I see you before I give you an answer? Maybe you could describe yourself first?"

"That's easy then, I look just like the man in magazine article, if you like that type but I've got long hair, how do you feel about men having long hair?"

"Oh, I just love men with long hair, I can't tell you what they do to me, especially when they offer to take me to lunch then show me around a castle. First though, I need you to promise that if my boyfriend comes back, you'll let me break it to him gently that I'm spending my time with you."

"Rose Tyler, would you really go off with another man if I stood you up?" Jon laughed. "I'm sorely disappointed now and you are going to have to make it up to me. Why are you reading this article anyway, don't you know enough about me?"

She saw this as an opportunity to find out when it had taken place and what had happened, had he actually chatted this woman journalist up right before he had asked her out to dinner the first day they met in the theatre? Still, he hadn't known her then she supposed, she couldn't really blame him, maybe it had been the day before after all otherwise her mother would have heard of him before she was mesmerised just like the rest of the population and if it was a good looking male you were talking about, Jackie would not have missed him and she hadn't heard of him until she was under the same spell as everyone else.

Jon went to sit beside her and took the magazine from her so she asked him. "So, when did you do this interview, I don't remember you telling me you were going to one. Was it while you were still in London?"

"Actually, I don't remember, I suppose it was in London, may have been a while ago, you know what magazines are like. It was certainly before I got the long hair," he joked, reaching back for his ponytail, much to the annoyance of some of the snooty guests.

Rose took hold of his hair and said, "Speaking of which, I think you should wear it loose while we're here just to annoy everyone," she joked as they got up to go for lunch.

"Don't bet me Rose, you know what happened the last time," he laughed as he took hold of her hand.

They had a lovely afternoon walking around the castle, stopping to have some tea mid-afternoon in the castle tearooms and buying souvenirs, walking around hand in hand, Jon paying more attention to Rose than their surroundings, Rose was thinking this would be a great place for him to actually propose if he was going to and an even better place for a wedding but she forgot neither of them were actually going to happen. Well he might get round to proposing to her before this was over but she could never accept. The ring he gave her as a promise was as near and as real as it was going to get.

They just had time to get changed and a bit to spare to fool around on the bed as Rose initiated it again by pulling his hair loose which Jon now took as a sign she wanted him, she had a real fascination for him with long hair as he had discovered quite early in their relationship but now she was using it to tell him she wanted him after the previous afternoon.

Week 7

The rest of the bank holiday weekend was spent walking around the lake and Jon drove them to a nearby village and on their last evening, they walked around the floodlit gardens together, arms around each others waists and reached a bench on the far side of the lake and they sat down. Jon asked her how she had enjoyed their weekend and had it been worthwhile the wait to see where he was taking her.

"I'm just glad you decided not to make me wait until tonight to tell me why you brought me here. I thought you'd make me wait until the last minute before you told me though." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek and played with his ponytail.

"Don't start Rose, you know what that leads to and we're in the middle of the hotel gardens," he joked. "I was going to wait until tonight but you brought the subject up and then it wasn't fair of me to make you wait, well it was pretty important. You're not disappointed are you? Would you have preferred me to wait to ask you? No, perhaps not and it wouldn't have been fair. You got some attention from wearing that ring?"

"Just in the spa yesterday, some woman asked if I was with the man with the long hair, I tried not to laugh too much when they asked and I was tempted to say it was an engagement ring but I didn't. You're right though, people will think it's an engagement ring even if we deny it so will you put it back on my other hand for me? I just wanted to see it on this hand, it doesn't have to stay there." Rose held out her left hand, expecting Jon to take the ring off but he didn't.

"I don't care what people think Rose, if they want to say we're engaged, then let them, I want you to keep it right where it is Sweetheart, if that's where you want to wear it, I'm more than happy to let you."

He kissed her cheek and got up, holding his hand out to help her up and said, "Come on, if you want to let my hair loose, Allons-y."

Rose sat for a moment, that was what the old him used to say all the time plus, he had forgotten when and where he had done that magazine interview, was the illusion fading? Was it too long a time for him to remain human or was it just a coincidence? She got up and allowed him to lead her back to their room. They were leaving in the morning right after an early breakfast. They would just have time to unpack when they got back before going to the theatre and Rose knew that everyone would notice the ring and no amount of denying would quash the rumours they had been away to get engaged. Maybe Jon had known that and had asked her indirectly to gauge her reaction to getting engaged? If she hadn't accepted his promise and he hers, then he'd know she didn't want to get engaged at some point but if she was open to the idea, then no doubt it would actually happen.

Rose also thought that if people thought they were already engaged, when he actually did propose, then all the fuss would be over and they could do it quietly. It still was never really going to happen anyway. She had decided that if somehow, he did, she would have to say yes or fear losing him at the last minute because if she turned him down, he would, as Jon, be bitterly disappointed and if there was still some time to go, he might leave her, they couldn't continue to work together or maybe they could just stay as they were and he'd ask again but it was a risk she wasn't willing to take. She had to see this through to the very end now.

So the last night in the hotel, on the four poster bed, Rose teased him again by loosening his hair and running her fingers through it, oh how she loved that long hair, it just did something to her she couldn't explain and more than ever now because they both knew that when she untied it, she meant business as she let Jon undress her then did the same to him. Rose knew she was going to miss this if they parted after he changed back so she intended making the most of it, something to remember him by even if it meant trying to win him back if he wanted her to leave. She knew she could never leave him altogether, she might have to settle for them being just friends again but only if necessary.

As they gently made love, still not crossing the line but discovering new ways of pleasing each other, Rose was getting slightly more daring and both laughing together as he whispered to her that she had suddenly got bolder over the weekend and they should spend every weekend away. Rose had said they did spend every weekend away, at their other apartment but he said that didn't count. They also made more plans afterwards, that Jon would contact his accountants and make the arrangements to get Rose officially made his P.A as soon as the play was finished although he said she wouldn't have to worry about finances, he would take care of her. Rose only wished this was going to become true.

They departed the hotel early the next morning, unpacked when they got back and drove to the theatre. Still sat in the car, Jon stopped her getting out. Rose thought it was because fans were already gathering but he said it wasn't just that.

"Rose, when we walk in there, everyone is going to see your ring including those fans out there and I don't know how people are going to react. I really wanted to do this quietly but that's not going to happen. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Rose shook her head, she really wasn't ready for all the attention she was now going to get, 'Rose Tyler gets engaged to Jonathan Smyth after romantic long weekend together' she could already see the evening papers' headlines and it all didn't seem such a good idea now.

"I thought I was, I really did but I think it would be best if I swapped fingers with this ring, at least when we're out. I can swap it back when we get home."

She began to take the ring off her finger but he stopped her. "No, leave it, don't go swapping it to please other people. This is between us, not everyone else. Let them think what they want. If it gets out of hand, we'll go to the local paper and tell them it's not an engagement ring but for now, the ring stays where it is, I love you Rose, nothing is going to change that. If it gets nasty then we'll do something about it."

He kissed the back of her left hand, smoothing the ring back down her finger and they got out of the car. Jon joined Rose as they were escorted from the car, the security man on duty had seen the crowd and them sat in the car and was waiting, some calling his name and taking photos of them both as he tried to shield Rose from most of them. Once inside the theatre though, Rose could feel the atmosphere was tense when they walked into the communal dressing area. Kay completely ignored her, just because she had turned down a dinner invitation, Rose could not believe it was just that, maybe she was jealous Rose had found someone, maybe Kay was no longer the centre of attention or maybe she was just annoyed that she had been brought from the other theatre to replace Rose, thinking they would still see each other since she had moved out, then Rose had found herself a boyfriend. Kay was not the only one who had a bloke, a lot of the other's had boyfriends or were married so why was everyone turning against her? Was it only jealousy? Had she never had a boyfriend at all the entire time she was supposed to have been there? Rose didn't really know, she didn't really know any of these people even though they thought she had been there two years and that Mark had been there before and tried to ask her out.

They managed to get to Jon's dressing room without any questions but just as Rose was following him in when Mary called her over.

"Rose, I need to talk to you, will you come with me?"

Rose was getting worried, had something happened on the Saturday they took off? Had the open door policy been enforced? They had been closing it to after everyone knew they were seeing each other. Mary took her to a quiet corner and sat her down.

"Rose, I'm afraid it's been decided that since you and Jon are now living together, you're going to have to keep it outside the theatre. Most of the others don't have their husbands or boyfriends here, some do but not working closely together and not seeing each other all of the time and a lot have complained about the amount of time you spend with Jon. I know you were asked to look after him by the director but the assistant director mentioned he had seen signs something had been going on in Jon's dressing room and brought it to his attention. We're going to have to get someone else to look after him, you'll have to go back with the rest of the girls."

"I can't go back to work with them, not if they're all against me, how do you think it would make me feel? What's wrong with everyone around here? I'm not with him when he's on stage. Ok, we'll start coming in later then, give them less to talk about, just come in before time and leave the door wide open. Anyway, now's as good a time to tell you I'm leaving anyway, when the play's over. I was going to give my notice in next week so you can tell everyone to stop being so petty and grow up and that I was already planning on leaving. I'm going to live in London with Jon. Is there anything else because he's waiting to get his hair washed, we just got back from our weekend away and I didn't have time to do it at home."

Mary just looked at her, what else could she say? Rose was leaving, that was true, with or without Jon in just five weeks and was adamant she was not going to have a bunch of jealous cows get the better of her. So Mary said she would talk to the director again and in the meantime, stay out of Jon's dressing room when he wasn't having his hair or make-up done. Rose reminded her that she would be handing her notice in next week and to tell the director.

Rose went off to find the object of everyone's jealousy and found him talking to one of the older male actors as he was waiting for Rose to wash his hair. He smiled when he saw her but he could tell there was something wrong with her but didn't say anything. She washed his hair with hardly a word, feeling the glares of some of the others and there was no way she could stay out here with them and from now on, she was going to make sure she washed it for him at home and spend as little time in the theatre as possible. Why should she let them win? At least they had been too busy glaring at her to notice she was wearing a ring – on her wedding finger.

Jon got up to go to his dressing room but Rose was reluctant to follow him in, despite drying his hair before he left the chair she didn't want to appear too keen after Mary's warning. Jon had other ideas however as he waited at the door for her to follow. She walked over but didn't follow him inside as she stood in the doorway.

"Rose, what's wrong? You've been acting funny since we got here, has someone said something to you, did Mary say something? Tell me what it was."

Rose proceeded to tell him of her conversation with Mary and now she wasn't supposed to spend too much time in his dressing room now and that Mary was speaking to the director about it. "It's totally unfair, just because some of them are jealous, why should they win? Now I'm being tossed back into the lion's den, after I was asked personally by the director to look after you while you're here. I don't recall being warned not to fall in love with you."

Jon took her hand and pulled her away from the door to the opposite end of the room and put his arms around her, not caring if anyone just happened to walk past and take their time looking in. He held her tight and whispered he would take care of it.

"You're not going back out there, you look after me, no-one else. What's wrong with these people? So a few get jealous of you, it's no grounds for keeping you from still looking after me though. We came out in the open about it, we're not hiding anything. Is it because you're wearing a ring now?"

"No, it can't be, Mary said it was over the weekend which means that because I took Saturday off with you, it just made things worse."

"Right then, I'm going to go find the director and if he says you're not taking care of me any more, then we put our plan into action a few weeks early. I'll make a phone call to my accountants and draw up a contract for you to become my P.A then you quit here without notice and work for me. Just storm out and tell them you're not giving in to a load of jealous women. Surely the director will see it for what it is? You're really good at your job Rose, why do you think I was so impressed with you? Besides, putting someone else on the job will not solve the problem if they're jealous of you, it just gives them the satisfaction of seeing they won."

Rose wasn't sure even Jon had that much influence with the director but it was worth a try. She couldn't go out there and work with the others knowing Jon was in here with someone else. The director had only given her compliments just before they went away, saying what a good job she was doing so why would he change his mind because of a few women? No, it had to be something or someone else that was causing all this. Was it Mark? Was he really so petty because she had turned him down he would resort to this?

"Jon, you know I told you Mark asked me out before we really started seeing each other?" Jon nodded. "Well it could be him, stirring up trouble amongst the girls to get back at me. He was so arrogant the last time he asked me, saying if I change my mind about you and all that. Do you think he could do that? When I came back from holiday, it was like he had been waiting for me and the first time I turned him down, I wasn't even going out with you, then he saw us together and maybe he was the one who got jealous of me being in here all the time, he must have talked to some of the girls, told them how I had turned him down and they joined in because they were also jealous of me for spending time with you. Any one of them could have got the job but it was given to me so there was some there before."

"We should both go and talk to the director then, you tell him about Mark, I'll tell him you look after me or I bring my own personal assistant in to do it, which will be you but I'm not saying that. Come on then, we still have time."

"Just one thing though, about being your P.A. Do I really have to have a contract and everything? We don't really need that, it can be just between us and once we move in together properly to the other apartment it won't matter. I don't need any contracts, you said you'd take care of me."

"We'll talk about that later Sweetheart, let's go see the director. Now come here and kiss me 'cos we haven't had time since we got back and I missed your kisses." He pulled her close and they kissed, not caring if anyone was passing by.

They were almost at the director's office when they saw Mary come out. She just looked at Rose then at Jon and said nothing. Rose thought it could have gone either way but if she wasn't saying anything, then the director would be dealing with it personally, not sending someone else to do the job. Jon was more or less the star of the play, people were coming just to see him and Rose wondered if it would be so popular had he not been in it. She guessed she would never know.

Jon knocked on the director's door and got a 'come in' back. They both entered and were indicated to sit down but Jon said he preferred to stand, with his arms crossed and Rose thought this was more like the old him.

The director looked up. "Ah, Rose, Jon, I was just coming to find you. It seems we have a bit of a problem with you two. When I put you on the job of looking after Jon, I never expected you two would get together and have the entire theatre talking about you Rose. You've caused a bit of a stir recently and I would really like to know who you've upset to get it to this stage that Mary and the assistant director have to come to me with complaints from the other girls about you spending all the time in Jon's dressing room."

Rose just stood there but it was Jon who spoke up. "You can't blame Rose for all this. I initiated the relationship by asking her out so if anyone's to blame, it's me and if the women out there can't handle Rose being in my dressing room when I ask her to stay then tough, Rose is not giving in to their jealousy. Rose is the best person for the job, regardless of our relationship and if when she has finished her job she remains with me, then that's our business, not anyone else's. You asked Rose to only look after me and that's what she's doing. Do you want her to do another job when she's finished doing my hair and make-up? If so, then tell her. What else is she supposed to do when she's finished? Stand around outside on her own while everyone else is busy? If everyone is being attended to, then there is no reason why Rose can't do what she likes and if that includes staying with me then people had better get used to it."

Rose was astounded the way he stood up for her, just like he had always done really, ever since they met. It was typical of the Doctor to stand up for people, that's what he does, makes a stand.

The director seemed a bit flustered at Jon's outburst but like it or not knew that Jon was the star attraction in the play. In fact on Saturday when it was announced Jon would not appear, there had been a lot of complaints and people had asked at the box office why he was not appearing but notice had been given a few days before and a notice had been put up from the start of the play stating that all artist were subject to availability and may be substituted without prior notification in events such as illness or injury and an appearance was not guaranteed in such events. The public expected an actor to appear even if they were severely injured or serious ill? Not to mention they only got one day off and a lot of the older actors were finding it hard going and they themselves had been replaced on several occasions.

The director had no choice but to back down when Jon said if he didn't, then he would employ Rose as his personal assistant and she would no longer be working for the theatre.

"OK Jon, I'll let it carry on as it is in view that Mary already informed me of Rose's intention to leave after the play anyway. I suppose a few disgruntled staff members out of the entire cast and crew will have to learn to live with it and you're right, I did personally ask Rose to look after you, I just never reckoned it would turn romantic but you have both made it very clear you are involved with each other and you haven't tried to hide it so you will work out your notice for us Rose?" Rose said yes. "Right, the matter is closed then and if any more complaints are received then I'll deal with them. You were right to not sit back and let this happen but there are a lot of people here, I had to at least consider the situation. I see you two didn't waste your weekend away then?" The director pointed to the ring on Rose's finger.

Rose just blushed and retracted her hand into Jon's as Jon just smirked. "No, it's not an engagement ring – not yet anyway, it's just I gave it to Rose and she wanted to wear it on that finger. Who am I to argue with her?" he laughed, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Well everyone is going to think it's an engagement ring so don't be surprised at the comments."

"We accept the fact that's what people are going to think and when we do actually get engaged all the fuss will have blown over. At least that's the plan," Jon laughed.

"Rose, you're being very quiet in all this, according to Mary you had plenty to say earlier which is why she came to me. She said you were giving your notice in and you weren't going to let the others get the better of you. I don't blame you for sticking up for yourself, a lot of others would have just taken it."

"Yeah, well someone told me you don't just give in, you speak up and make a stand. I don't let people trample all over me. So I'll give the personnel department my notice next Monday and give you time to get a replacement before the next production starts." Rose let go of Jon's hand and looked at the ring sitting on her finger. "You know, I might just play along if people ask if it's an engagement ring. Either that or not deny it, it could be fun since I really don't see that many people outside of the theatre anyway." She turned to Jon and said, "You had better go finish getting ready and from tomorrow, we'll just come in later, do your hair at home."

Rose took his hand again and they left the office and went back to his dressing room, hand in hand with a few looks of disappointment on some faces as it was clear who had won that round and Jon made a point of closing the door to, not all the way but enough for a bit of privacy as they stood behind the door kissing.

No-one said anything during the entire performance, some of the actresses had noticed her ring and ask her about it and since she had nothing against them told them the truth and they just teased her about her wishing it really was which she accepted as just a bit of fun, not like some of them had begun treating her. She was glad she was leaving, one way or another she would be gone at the end of the play.

After they got home, they forgot all about what had happened as Rose was a bit upset, Jon was the one who let his hair out of the ponytail Rose had tied it in before they left the theatre. Jon said a few people had asked him some personal questions but he said he had declined to answer them.

The rest of the week wasn't too bad, they started going in later the following day but Jon always made a point of closing the door, just to let everyone know he was not pleased with the treatment Rose had been receiving and on the Wednesday, just after they arrived, Rose was horrified to find Jon had cornered Mark just as she was about to follow him into his dressing room. They were having a heated discussion when Rose decided to stay back out of the way but she heard something about if he caught Mark tying to chat his girlfriend up again then have the nerve to try to split them up inside the theatre, he would get him fired. Rose thought that was not going to help since the two actors shared a scene together that called for them to have close physical contact and thought that one of them might get more than physical and punch the other. Worst of all, the scene was on a gantry a good few feet above the stage and Rose was really afraid something might happen although there were very strict health and safety procedures in place to prevent any real accidents but it didn't stop her from worrying Jon might be on the receiving end.

By the Saturday afternoon matinee, things had died down and it hadn't come to blows on the stage. Mark was staying out of their way off stage and must have got the message and also have noticed the ring on Rose's finger so he had maybe figured he was wasting his time after all. They got away fairly early after the evening performance as Rose was waiting by the stage door with Jon's satchel and when he had finished signing autographs, they were escorted through the crowds to Jon's car before everyone had left, gaining an extra twenty minutes or so and they were at their other apartment before one in the morning and the man on desk duty was getting used to them arriving late.


	12. Chapter 12

Week 8

Rose knew now there were only four weeks left, they were into their eighth week of this and now they were more than at home with each other. Rose was enjoying their new status, having people guessing if they were engaged or not and playing at neither confirming or denying it when she wanted to. Kay was still not talking to her and Rose had very little choice but to leave things for the time being. She went into the personnel department to hand her notice in officially on the Monday morning, which was reluctantly accepted and she left her forwarding address and had handed notice in on the apartment before they had gone to the theatre and Rose was getting Jon to sort out the bills for her, just for show and to give him something to do although it really wouldn't matter but it had to be seen to be done to keep up the appearance of normality.

Nothing was going to be normal for her again, once this was over and the time was getting nearer with every passing day. It felt longer than the actual time it had been for her. She was feeling herself thinking she was going to be bitterly disappointed when it did come to an end but just like any other relationship that came to an end, there would be tears and swearing she would never love anyone else and she wouldn't, it would be true this time because she could never love anyone the way she did the Doctor, whether as himself or as Jon. Rose was hoping it would be the same for him, he must have loved other women in his 900 years as a Timelord and she accepted that, just as he had accepted she went out with Mickey before she met him, both as the Doctor and as Jon. It was possible for them to be together once this was over, she would be willing to try, if he was and maybe now, he had been given a chance.

Rose went through the motions of letting her mother know she was moving into Jon's apartment and leaving the theatre after the play finished and Jackie wasn't surprised in the least and said she might get to see more of her daughter if she was living nearer and was going to thank Jon for bringing her back nearer home when she saw him but Rose said nothing to her about the ring and what it may or may not imply about their relationship. If nothing else, she intended keeping it after this was all over.

Week 9

Now faced with just three weeks left and going fast, Rose was trying to determine what exactly in the flat was supposed to be hers and just hoped Jon didn't want to start moving things over the next few remaining weekends although he said he could take a few of his clothes back the following weekend, he'd only brought the extra ones really for the weekend they had been going away. Rose tried to talk to Kay and more or less had to force her to listen.

"Kay, why are you so mad at me? Just because we had plans that weekend, there was no need to take it so seriously was there? We don't get much chance to go out or go away for more than a day. Why don't we get together the night after the play finishes? We're moving to London but we're not going until the day after that, I've got Jon's hair extension to take out and give him a haircut, then all our things to pack so it will be too much if we go the day after. Come round to us and I'll make us a nice dinner. What do you say? Can't we at least part as friends? I'm not coming back but we can stay in touch with each other surely? I need you to take anything in the flat that belonged to you anyway since I'm handing the keys in."

Kay thought about it and finally gave in, throwing Rose into one of her famous bear hugs that rivalled the Doctor's. "Oh I'm sorry Rose, I was being childish. You got a new bloke and of course you were going to spend all your time with him, I just got all caught up when the other girls were complaining and I shouldn't have done, it was silly. Are we still friends?"

"Yeah, of course we are, so what about that dinner after we get finished here?"

Kay agreed and Rose was kind of sad it would never actually take place because she would be gone by then and no-one would remember her or Jon and if the play had actually been staged, it would have been with another leading actor and another member of the make-up department. She went off to find Jon and told him she had made friends with Kay and of her plan to have them for dinner the night before they left. Jon pointed out though that it would be better if they went out since the flat would be in chaos the day before they left. Rose said she would tell Kay and they would choose somewhere nice to go. Jon said he had hoped to take her out on his own the night before they left but said he'd make up for it when they moved in properly to the other apartment.

Rose had a feeling he had been planning something for that last night here and she had just spoiled it but maybe it was just as well if he had been going to really propose to her. During the week, Jon got several offers of other plays that various directors wanted him to appear in and most of them were within easy travelling distance so he was looking through them all, deciding there were two he was torn between, both which he had never done before, one Shakespeare and one Rose had never heard of. He quite like the Shakespeare one and so did Rose, it was a comedy and Rose's favourite comedienne was also being asked to appear in it and Rose thought it would be nice to meet her. By the end of the week, Jon had been persuaded to accept the Shakespeare one when he found out he would be able to wear his own clothes and could show off some of his t-shirt collection.

Week 10

Rose was getting really nervous now, two weeks until the end of the play, two weeks to when she was meant to give herself to Jon without reservation, for them to finally be together – that was if he didn't open the watch and if she could get him to open it before she had to keep her promise. Even if she showed him the watch the night they got back after the closing performance, he might put things into motion and not even give her the chance to show it to him, he would be so desperate at that point to finally have her he probably wouldn't let her feet touch the ground once they got home.

Her best plan was within the next week to remove the watch from its hiding place and on the final day, let him see it and tell him it was her dad's and she wanted to show it to him. Then when they got home, she would tell him to look inside and that would be it. Now the time was drawing near, it didn't seem fair to deny him, or herself for that matter. He had waited nearly three months for her and she was going to take it away from him, did she have the right to? Did she, on the other hand, have the right to let him go through with it when he wasn't himself or should she just let it happen and suffer the consequences afterwards that he would go totally mad with her and never forgive her? He had said to hold him off as long as she could and to make sure it didn't go too far but had he any idea when this started how far they were going to get? They had all but done the final act and had almost got carried away on more than one occasion when he had stopped himself just in time. How were they going to go back on that?

If he was going to remember everything, he would remember just how near they had actually got anyway, maybe he'd be embarrassed he had let things go so far, she had little choice but to go along with it or loose him, he'd understand that, wouldn't he? If she let them cross the line, would it be her fault or his? She made her mind up, if it was him that crossed it, she would go along but only if it actually came to it and she would tell him afterwards that she was willing to do it, he hadn't forced her to. Then she would see what would happen.

By Friday, she was getting to the stage she wished it was over, still over a week to go and Jon seemed like he was running out of ideas to keep them from actually getting to the final curtain and it wasn't the stage curtain they were talking about. When they got to their London apartment in the early hours of Saturday morning, he was getting edgy and all the way over, he was quieter than normal. Just eight days to go until they could be together and it was showing on every inch of his face. The Friday night, he had initiated everything, taken the lead and made her moan, made her melt to his touch and brought her to the edge of a very high cliff and she had nearly fallen over and she didn't think she could last any longer, certainly not another seven nights and neither could he.

When they got into the apartment, he was so frantic to get her undressed and into bed, he didn't even stop to take things out of his jacket pocket, he just tossed everything onto the sofa and picked Rose up and put her on the bed. She didn't even have to untie his hair. He knew what that did to her when it was all loose and she could run her fingers through it. It was then he finally broke and told her he was finding it difficult to control himself and that he wanted her so badly right now. Rose didn't know what to say as she lay on him, he was going as far as he dare and Rose was moaning his name and as they moved, she could feel herself just wanting to let go but he stopped just as she was about to say yes. She collapsed onto him, he had been letting Rose stay on top for fear of going to far. He leaned her over onto her side and looked at her.

"Rose, I can't do this any more, I don't know if I'm going to be able to stop next time, I don't know what else to say. I love you, you know that, why can't you be with me? I'm not saying we shouldn't carry on doing what we are doing already, it's just I can't guarantee the next time that I won't go against your wishes and then you'll hate me if I force you and you might fight me off. There's nothing else Rose, nothing else I can do to show you how much I love you. You're asking me to wait another week, I don't think I can do it Rose, I really don't. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that if we do go the whole way I'll just leave you? Do you think I've been with you nearly three months just to get you to give in to me then I'll say I don't want you any more? Just tell me, what can I do that I already haven't done to prove to you how much I love you?"

Rose just looked at him then buried her face into his chest and he held her tight as she sobbed. She wanted so badly to give in to him, right now, she had been sent to the very edge and didn't know whether to jump or turn back and she was the only one who could make that decision. It would be a decision made for both of them and Jon didn't know it. He thought he was in control of his own destiny but he wasn't, Rose was. If she gave in, it would be both of them giving in. She couldn't even get to the watch. If only she had thought to bring it with her but the Tardis was behind the other flat and they would still have to get back to it if he did open it here. She tried to stall him by continuing to cry, he was rubbing her back and telling her it was ok, that he didn't mean to upset her.

She looked up at him, he was so much in love with her and she with him, as Jon and she couldn't be with him. What was she supposed to do? Have her first time with a person who didn't really exist? What would he think of her when he changed back? Would he think it was unforgivable, that if she really wanted him she would have waited? How could she make him wait another week? She couldn't even count on her monthly, she had already got it over with which was why he was having this outburst now and not last weekend. Even though she took precautions, they had added a day either side just in case they decided to give in.

He was kissing her neck, trying to calm her down, trying to keep himself calm probably. He thought he had upset her but she knew it wasn't that. It was her, it was all her fault for starting this stupid thing in the first place and for letting it go so far but she couldn't take all of the blame, he had wanted it, deep inside, he was still the Doctor and Jon was just drawing on what he had been given by what the Tardis had implanted in him. She could sure do with talking to the ship right now, then she remembered what the ship had told her when she had asked, if there was no other choice, should she go the whole way? The ship had said she should if there was no other choice.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. It was getting late, Rose just asked if they could go to sleep, she was tired.

"It's ok Sweetheart, I didn't mean to upset you, you know I didn't. I just want you so much, it hurts because I can't have you. I know it's your first time and it should be special and we can't have a special evening while we're at the theatre so how about tomorrow night, we'll go somewhere really nice and see what happens? We'll have a nice day out on the river, go somewhere for dinner and when we come back, maybe you'll have had such a special time, you might be relaxed and be with me. What do you say Rose?"

He got no answer, Rose really was tired, she fell asleep in his arms. It was going to have to wait. Jon woke her the following morning to try to have the one-sided conversation he had last night again, preferably with a response from Rose this time.

"You fell asleep last night when I was asking you," he said, as he told her what he had been trying to say. "If you're more relaxed, you may find yourself saying yes to me when I'm just about to give up. I'm sorry about last night, I really am, it's just next week seems so far away now. Let me make it up to you, mmm?" He leaned over and began kissing her neck, working his way down to her breasts as she put her arms around his neck and kissed his neck, ending in their lips meeting.

"Jon, I'm sorry, I'm so scared of losing you if I can't get over this. I do love you, I want to be with you but I just don't know what's stopping me. I really don't deserve you, you've been so patient with me, I know that. I don't want you to be disappointed if I'm not good enough for you." It was the best she could think of at short notice but not too far from the truth, she was scared of losing him – if she did go ahead with it. Scared of him dumping her back at her mother's flat and she would never see him again.

"Oh Rose, is that it? You're scared I'll be disappointed with you and I'll leave you? Sweetheart, everyone is scared their first time, without exception. I can't tell you how much I was scared the first time. It all looks so easy when you see it in films and on TV but in reality, it's something that you can't always explain, you build up to it and think you're ready and then you panic but in the end, you just go with it, it just happens, all you have to do is allow it to happen. Will you Rose, will you allow me to help make it happen for you? I could never be disappointed with you. I love you."

Rose looked at him, was it just a case of giving in when the feeling was right? Should she just allow it to happen? Or try to put it off another week? She didn't think anything she said now was going to make him wait much longer, certainly not another week. It would be her first time, not his, he was over 900 years old in reality and in this charade, he must think he had been with other women to be able to speak about it. It was just her, she was the one holding back, thinking it wasn't fair to go ahead with it because he wasn't himself. Could he really hate her if he asked her to go ahead with it? If he was the one who started it? She had to think fast as he brushed her hair behind her ear and went to kiss her again, waiting for her to say something.

"I am scared Jon, if there has to be a first time, I want it to be with you, will you help me? Can we go out tonight, have a candlelit dinner and everything then when we come back, will you show me there's nothing to be scared of?"

It was all she could do, he had given her every opportunity to back out and she had stayed, encouraged him to make him believe she was going to go ahead with this, now time was running out, it was tonight or never. Maybe her first attempt would end in disaster, she might change her mind at the last second and they would both be disappointed but he had waited so patiently, he would let them try again but one way or another, it was going to happen if not tonight and if it didn't, then she will have tried and tomorrow, she could get to the watch and make him open it, with just a week to go. It was better than with still six weeks to go, she would have given him a better experience than he would have had if it had only lasted six weeks. The Tardis had told her she should, if there was no other choice but was there another choice? He was not forcing her or threatening to leave.

Jon was smiling at her, tracing his finger between her breasts, pleased at her response. "Rose, tonight we'll make it a night to remember, as long as you're sure, I'm not trying to pressurise you Sweetheart but I think it's time, I think you're more than ready, you just need some encouragement and I'll make it just right tonight, the full works. Dinner in candlelit surroundings, music but we're not going out, I'm going to make it here for you, I'm not bad at cooking. I'll go get everything I need when the shops open, you go look around in the town while I surprise you with my culinary ingredients, then I'll bring everything back and prepare it, meet you for lunch then we'll take a boat ride and a walk along the river and when we come back, I'll run you a nice hot bath and buy you some scented bath oil and you soak for a while and get dressed. I'll have everything ready for when you are finished and then you'll be totally relaxed. What do you say?"

What could she say, it sounded perfect. "You'd go to all that trouble for me? It sounds wonderful, I hope I'm worth it," she smiled, putting her head on his chest as he drew her near.

"Oh Rose, you are more than worth it, I'd do it every night if it made you happy and when we move here in just over a week, I will do it every Sunday night, I promise. If you're worried though that it doesn't happen, there's no need to, if you feel you can't go through with it, I won't be mad at you, we'll just try again, I'm not going to leave you because of it. All we can do is try to make it happen and if you really are ready, then it will. Now let's go get some breakfast, then I'll go off to the supermarket when it opens, you go buy yourself a new dress then we'll meet up. You haven't had a proper look around the town yet, you might as well get used to it, it's not much different to where you've been living."

He kissed her again, then got up, making a point of letting her see what she was to expect later, a sly grin on his face, not that she hadn't seen him before when they undressed but that was only for a few seconds, this he was doing on purpose and if that didn't make her mind up it was actually going to happen, then nothing ever would. Rose had stood in front of him many times, teasing him but now he was getting his revenge and even though he was now Human, being changed from a Timelord, she could tell some things about him can't have changed that much.

Rose just smiled and got out of bed, just as he turned away, another tease. Right, two could play at that game as she deliberately bumped him gently with her bum as she went to her drawer to get clean underwear out before she went to the bathroom. He just smiled and just patted her gently and Rose told him to be careful or she would untie his hair again that he had just tied up to gather the stray bits that had fallen away, Rose would brush it for him before they went out.

They finally went in search of breakfast, they didn't keep any food there that would spoil, just enough for during the day on Sunday, taking the rest back with them and then Jon went off, leaving Rose to wander around the town. She was surprised how big it was, she hadn't really looked before and she found some fashion shops open, Jon had given her some money to buy a new dress and she was going to choose something really special plus yet some more revealing underwear or perhaps she would be bold tonight and not wear any at all, if she didn't it would show him she was serious but perhaps on reflection she should wear some very skimpy panties, just in case but definitely no bra this time.

She chose a white dress, very revealing and vowed she wouldn't wear it in public, it was more like one a famous actress would wear to an awards ceremony and have a 'wardrobe malfunction' as they aptly named it when parts of their anatomy were on show but she was sure he would like to see her in it, after all, that was rather the point, to get them both 'in the mood' and she trusted he would equally dress to suit the occasion. When this was over, if they were still talking, she was going to try to persuade him to start wearing t-shirts and very tight fitting jeans in the Tardis.

That was if they were even going to be on the same planet, let alone talking. She wished she could consult the Tardis, ask if she really should go through with it but it was her call, she was the one that was loosing everything, he could maybe live with it if it didn't work out for them but she would loose the one thing to him that she could never get back. She did want to give herself to him, she just would have preferred it had been with him as the Doctor but she loved both sides of him now. Did it matter which side of him it was? He would remember when he changed back. Would he say it was ok but he would have preferred her to wait?

Maybe she could go though the motions and stop at the last second but they would just keep trying and it wouldn't take a week. She was frantically trying to come up with excuses not to go through with it but she couldn't, not without taking some drastic action that meant lying to him. She didn't want to have to lie to him, not any more, this whole thing had been a lie but not falling in love with him as Jon, that wasn't a lie, she did love him and would do anything for this all to be true, who he now was, where they were going to move to, the whole life but it would be gone. If they could keep the apartment though, have somewhere to go other than her mother's flat, that was if they were still together. She knew it could never be, he couldn't stay, the whole planet would be in danger in less than a year and it would be her fault there would be no Doctor – or would there? An endless paradox, would her first Doctor still save the world from living plastic dummies? Had she the right to risk it to be with him forever as Jon?

It was something she would never know, he might still exist but she would never meet him, she wouldn't be there to save him from the Nestene Consciousness and the countless other times she had saved him, like on the Games Station. No, she couldn't risk it, not even for her own happiness and when he got old, would she give him the watch to change back, to rejuvenate himself before he died? Or would she die, make him watch her grow old and never get to give him the watch? Like she said, it was an endless paradox and she couldn't win. If he made the decision, that was different, if he chose to walk away but he wouldn't be the one making it – she was.


	13. Chapter 13

Rose had already reached where they were meeting, thinking over the coming events and having a debate with herself as to if he stayed Human or not and smiled when he arrived to join her. She wasn't going to show him the dress she had bought, she wanted him to see her in it for the first time later tonight but she let him have a quick look at the very skimpy panties she had bought as he played around trying to get a look inside the bag that contained the dress and she had tapped his hand lightly when he picked them up, not wanting him to actually take them out and show the entire café they were in. He thought it was funny.

Putting her things in the car, Jon drove further up the river and they sat for a while, he had put some picnic chairs in the back of the car and a rug and they sat by the river, choosing to sit on the rug, it so reminded Rose of their visit to New Earth, not that long ago, when he had just regenerated and now here they were, laid side by side, arm in arm, a repeat of that time and he was new again, not regenerated but changed. They talked for a while, Rose was trying to find out what he was making them for dinner, he said it was already prepared and just waiting to go into the oven while she took her bath, he had bought her some luxurious bath oil and he said she had to spend at least an hour in it, he wanted to smell the fragrance on her and he had got her some French perfume. Not only that, he also said he had a surprise for her.

Rose didn't think she could take any more surprises, the weekend away had been a surprise enough plus last night had come out of the blue, she thought she was safe for another week but it wasn't to be. If she could get him to change his mind somehow, to put it off but she knew he wouldn't, not now when he had gone to these lengths to put her in the mood. Could she feign illness, feel unwell? Maybe not, he would think it was his cooking and take her to the hospital. She was running out of ideas while she had been waiting for him earlier and she was desperately trying to come up with some new ones. Some of his old tricks might have worked but she wasn't clever enough to pull anything like that off and she would have to adapt them to suit her needs anyway.

As they lay on the grass, Jon got up to fetch the cooler box and Rose discovered he had brought afternoon tea of strawberries and cream and some non-alcoholic wine, he was really spoiling her, how could she think of trying to make up excuses? It was inevitable, it was going to happen if he kept this going, picnic by the river, him cooking dinner, buying her bath oil and perfume, he was going above and beyond what was necessary and the fact she had bought a very alluring dress and planned wearing very little beneath it, if she wasn't ready now she never would be, he was leading her on, she was just following and he was trying everything he could think of to make it happen. Wouldn't that justify the end result? Claim he led her on, led her to believe it was what she wanted? She did want it but not like this, not when he was Jon but Jon was also the Doctor so if Jon wanted her, so did he.

She remembered at the beginning of all this, he had said he wouldn't be mad at her and if he showed affection it was what he really felt so maybe this was how he really felt but could never tell her, after all, he was the same man. He must have known he was going to leave it all up to her, she just had to decide if he was worth it. After weeks of agonising over it, it came down to one thing – was she willing to give herself over to him?

Jon was looking at her, feeding her a strawberry dipped in cream, she must have looked miles away to him. She smiled when he asked what she was thinking about.

"I was thinking about tonight, did you remember to get the candles?" she asked, picking up a strawberry, dipping it in the cream and putting it in his mouth, then going to kiss him, hoping no-one was around.

He let the strawberry melt as Rose kissed him, she thought it was their most romantic kiss to date as she let go and he smiled.

He said it was the best kiss they had ever shared. "Rose, that was the best kiss ever, would you like to do that again?" He reached for another strawberry.

Rose started laughing as he dipped the strawberry in the cream, put it her mouth but just before, gave her a quick kiss before putting it in her mouth then kissed her again. They were both laughing as they continued in turn until they ran out of strawberries. Rose was more than in the mood now. They lay back for a while, Rose was on her side, brushing his hair back that had fallen loose, wanting to let it down. It was nearly five when they finally left, going for a walk to where there was a bend in the river. Jon was taking photos of her, Rose was making faces at him as they both tried to get in the same one.

When they got back to the apartment, Jon wouldn't let her in either the lounge or the kitchen, saying it would spoil the surprise he had set up. Rose couldn't wait to see what he had been preparing. She was allowed into the bedroom and Jon gave her the perfume he had bought her, saying the bath oil was in the bathroom and he was going to run the taps for her while she got undressed. Rose was hanging up the dress she had bought after he left the bedroom when he called to say the bath was running and not to be long. She went into the bathroom in just her underwear to find him testing the water temperature, a large towel nearby, a bathrobe behind the door, scented candles at the foot of the bath and an overload of bubbles. He turned the water off, testing it again and declared it just right.

Then he unfastened her bra and helped her out of her panties, looking at her and letting his eyes do all the talking. Then taking her hand, he helped her into the bath, making sure it wasn't too hot for her as she sank into the bubbles. Rose thought it smelled gorgeous. She closed her eyes for a moment and Jon asked if the bath was ok.

"Right, I'm going to finish preparing dinner and get everything set, I'll check on you in about say, forty minutes? That will give you another ten minutes to get out and dried then you go get dressed for me and wear that perfume I got for you. I'm really looking forward to this, since you told me you loved me and you started wearing that ring. Now I'll leave you to it Sweetheart, I'm going to let you enjoy this, although I would enjoy watching you take your bubble bath even better but I promised to make dinner for you. I want you to be totally relaxed."

Rose did indeed enjoy her bath. It had been ages since she had the time to relax, opting to take showers in the Tardis and since she had been living in this alternate reality (for want of a better phrase) and hoped she would get another chance quite soon. Her mind drifted to thoughts of the upcoming evening, she was really going to do this? Shouldn't she be feeling that she should fight this off? He was so loving and kind as Jon and deep inside, so was the Doctor, he just couldn't express himself and now he wanted to express his love as a Human male, he had said he wanted her to know him as a Human. Well, that's what she was going to do, more then ever now. She meant what she had said, if she was going to loose something that precious, she wanted it to be with him, Jon was the Doctor and she could never want it to be with anyone else other than him.

Rose was just closing her eyes, the aroma from the oil was getting over-whelming, she could feel herself sinking into the bubbles even more when a knock came on the door, bringing her back to reality, well this reality.

"Sweetheart, are you ok in there? Can I come in?" The door partly opened and Jon popped his head around the corner of it.

"Rose, dinner won't be long. Do you want me to come back and help you out of the bath? I don't want you slipping when you get out." Rose nodded.

He took a few steps nearer and could see her under the bubbles and Rose did nothing to try to hide herself. "You're so beautiful, this makes me want to get in there with you right this minute." He smiled and leaned down to kissed her, then made a circle in the water, revealing her left breast. Pleased with himself, he made another circle, then he smiled again. "I'll come back in five minutes to help you out so don't get out on your own, you'll be all slippery. I want you in one piece, sex kitten."

He touched both her breasts in turn with his finger, kissed her again and went out, leaving the door open. Rose assumed he was checking on the dinner or maybe getting changed before she did. She wanted to change on her own, didn't want him to see her before she was wearing that dress. This was like a dream, she hoped she wasn't dreaming, not when they had been working up to this. She had never wanted to give herself to Mickey, not the way she did with Jon. This was just perfect and so far this evening he was being the perfect gentleman. He could after all just dive in the bath with her or drag her out and force her but no, he was being Prince Charming and she liked it.

When she had been possessed by Cassandra, her thoughts had been conveyed when Cassandra had leapt into The Doctor, he must have known then what he meant to her. Was this for him though still like being possessed? The thought was still making its presence known in the back of her mind and it couldn't be shaken. She was literally two hours at the most away from her life changing experience, this was a fine time to still have any doubts. If she did have doubts, should she still be contemplating going ahead? She had come this far, to falter at the last hurdle so near from the finishing line of the end of the play. Was she giving in to the temptation to please just herself or pleasing both of them?

Jon seemed to have already made his mind up and was definitely not having any second thoughts about it. Just then, he knocked on the door, even though it was already open and he picked up the towel and held it in front of her, holding his arm out to help her out and wrapped the towel around her, kissing her shoulders from behind and gently touching her as he started to dry her. Rose hadn't seen him come in, her eyes had been closed but as she turned, she noticed he was wearing black trousers and a white shirt with brown pinstripes, open most of the way down and she really hoped he'd not been preparing dinner like that. He looked so sexy, Rose just wanted to collapse with him right there on the bathroom floor.

Still holding her with one arm, he pulled the plug from the bath, then making sure she took the towel, blew the candles out, wrapped his arms around her and led her out of the bathroom into the bedroom that was filled with vases of red roses. Rose couldn't believe what she saw, he must have been hiding them in the lounge and got them out while she was in the bath. She just turned to him and kissed him, telling him she loved him. When she looked on the bed, laid out was a very revealing pink knee length nightdress, a single red rose laid on it. The dress was still on its hanger, she hadn't wanted him to see it, maybe he hadn't noticed it. The lacy, almost see-through white panties she had bought were still on the dressing table as he told her he would leave her to get dressed, kissing the back of her neck before he left.

She wasted no time getting dressed, opening the bottle of perfume, the type with the old fashioned pump spray that she thought she was going to swallow at one point, it had a really strong scent and must have cost a fortune, it was not the imitation stuff or from the local supermarket either, it was real French perfume and she sprayed it all over her neck and down her cleavage. Then she put her panties on, not that there was much to put on, then the dress, slipping on her low heeled black shoes last. She managed to fasten the clasp of the necklace he had bought her and surveyed herself in the wardrobe mirror – she was dressed to kill, wearing no bra accentuated her breasts, they were slightly over the top of the dress to what they should be but only Jon was going to see her, no-one else, this was the night, the night she gave herself to him. She wanted him to want her.

Bracing herself for the impact she would hopefully have on him, she left the safety of the bedroom and walked into the lounge just as he was lighting the candles. Soft romantic music was playing quietly and he looked around as he must have smelled her perfume. She had decided against wearing any make-up or lipstick, she didn't want to make herself look cheap and she had swept her hair back.

He stepped towards her and kissed her cheek, taking in the scent and whispered, "You look stunning Sweetheart. Here let me help you into your chair." He pulled a chair back from the table and made sure she was properly seated.

He disappeared into the kitchen returning with two plates and put one in front of her. She didn't know where he had learned to cook but it looked very delicious and Rose didn't want to spoil its presentation by putting her fork into it. It was as delicious as it looked and as she finished she complimented him on his cookery skills. The best he could manage in the Tardis was toast or pancakes, not that they ate much in there, maybe he just never got the chance. He cleared the plates away and asked if she would some dessert, Rose thought she was going to burst after that dinner but smiled and said she would love some. While Jon cleared the table, he sat Rose down on the sofa and turned the music up slightly, gently lifting her feet and taking her shoes off, saying he'd be back in a moment and when he came back, he poured some more wine and handed a glass to her, seating himself on the edge of the sofa. Rose had pulled down the top of her dress just as far as it would go without actually taking it off, revealing even more of her breasts. Jon had just stared when he came back into the room as she was lying there.

He leaned down and kissed her and told her she looked beautiful, the most beautiful he had ever seen her as she put her arms around his neck after undoing the rest of his shirt buttons. Then he helped her up and said they should dance. He went to choose a track to dance to and Rose couldn't believe it was Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade, the one they had danced to in the Tardis before he had changed and as he helped her up and they began to dance, very closely, Jon trailing kisses down her neck. She wondered if he really remembered they had danced to it before as her arms were around his back, pressing close to his bare chest, her head resting on his shoulder as he whispered in her ear he loved her.

It couldn't have been a more perfect end to a perfect day, the river picnic, the bubble bath and the dinner, now the smooching to romantic music. They danced for the next three tunes, all slow, spending more time kissing and touching than actually dancing, Rose could feel his chest brushing against her breasts, more like just moving their feet in time to the music, Jon's hands on her back and her bum, his lips on her ear, whispering she smelt gorgeous, smelling her neck then moving his face to smell where she had sprayed the perfume between her breasts.

After dancing silently, Jon breathing in the perfume, he whispered in her ear, "You are driving me crazy Rose Tyler, you look and smell just amazing, shall we go lie on the sofa for a while? Why don't you go get out of that dress and go put that nightdress on I bought for you? I'll be waiting right here for you when you come back Sweetheart. Here, let me unzip your dress for you and unfasten your necklace."

He partly unzipped the dress and took the chain off, handing it to her. "You won't be long will you Sweetheart? he asked as she kissed his cheek and he got an eyeful of her breasts as the dress was coming away now it was unzipped.

"No, I won't be long. You really went in a shop and bought that nightdress?" she smiled at him. "I bet you got some funny looks, what with your long hair tied back and all."

"No, I showed them a photo I took of both of us together, asked an assistant to help me choose. I don't think she recognised me though, she didn't say anything. Then when I walked into the florists and bought all those red roses, they thought I'd lost my girlfriend and was trying to win her back. Oh, and I've got something else for you too when you come back in. You do want to come back in here, you don't want me to come to the bedroom with you, do you? Only it's still quite early, we can cuddle on the sofa for a while, have some more wine although I'd better not have any more, only the non-alcoholic, I'm driving in the morning." He kissed her cheek back as she left the room.

Rose went back to the bedroom and changed into the nightdress he had bought for her, it was just the right length, she wondered how he had known her size, he must have noticed it on one of her dresses. She decided to take off her panties, make it more exciting then she picked the rose up carefully and smelled it, putting it back on the pillow. This was really happening to her and she didn't feel nervous, she felt giddy and excited at the prospect and Jon had been right, you just had to go with it, allow it to happen. She really wished that nagging feeling would go away, the one that was telling her it was not the Doctor she was going to be with but he was, she had to get rid of the idea.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the nightdress had a v-neck and showed off her breasts even more than the dress had done and there was a slit up one side, showing her thigh. She walked back into the lounge to find Jon lying on the sofa, his long legs stretched out, arms behind his head, just like she had seen him before and he was wearing even smaller boxers than she had seen before, well you couldn't really call them boxers at all. He had drawn the curtains, turned off the lights and just two candles were burning on the table behind the sofa. He got up, loosened his hair and took her hand and with the other, he traced his finger up the slit of her nightdress, touching her hip, finding she was wearing nothing underneath and smiled, leading her to the sofa. He gently lay her down, tracing his finger between her breasts and kissed them.

He slid around the other side of her, still touching her breasts as she put her hand on his chest. He took her hand and held it over his heart, she could feel it beating fast, she had often wondered what it would be like to feel both his hearts beating. He leaned down to kiss her as she flung her arms around him, his hand sliding under the slit of the nightdress and she could feel his fingers moving onto her inner thigh, urging her to open her legs. He watched her face as he touched her, she closed her eyes at the pleasure he was giving her, then for a few second she opened them again, saw the smile on his face as he enjoyed every second as much as she did. As he moved his fingers away, he kissed her neck and she looked at him and said she wanted him to take her to bed.

Helping her up, he blew out the candles then he picked her up and carried her to their bedroom, the sheets were now pulled back as he lay her down and hovered above her.

"Do you want to lie on top of me first Sweetheart?" he asked. Rose nodded and he rolled to one side, taking her with him until she was fully on top of him, just managing to slide down his brief shorts and pulling up the hem of her nightdress so the both could feel each other.

Rose remained calm, she thought she would have panicked but he was so gentle, so loving, not rushing her or forcing her. He was taking his time, letting her adjust to the fact of what they were about to do together and Rose knew now the moment had arrived, she was going to do this because she could never love anyone the way she did him, Jon and the Doctor were the same person. She stroked his cheek then kissed it, he buried his face into her neck, smelling the strong perfume which was surely fanning the flames of passion as they kissed, Jon calling her name, telling her how much he wanted her as they moved together. Then she told him one word – 'now'.

As he turned her onto her back, he looked down and asked if she was sure. She nodded and said she was. As she lay there, enjoying the sensations she got when he started to do what he normally did, just being gentle, she could feel the excitement building to where she would normally tell him to stop but he was right, she just had to relax and go with the feeling and he was making it happen. She felt something she had never felt before, a new sensation was taking over her body as he continued and it was overwhelming her, she wanted to scream out but was afraid to, she stifled the scream, digging her fingers into his back then lower down, pulling him towards her as they both moaned then the waves crashed over her, she could feel something different as she shivered through this strange feeling that had come over her as she tried to calm herself, her heart racing, wanting the sensation to last until it finally began to subside, slowly. It was the most wonderful feeling she had ever had in her life and she knew what had happened.

Jon was kissing her neck as he slowly came away from her, whispering her name. Rose could feel the sensation was still lingering when he asked if she was ok. She knew she would never be the same again and she told him as much.

"Rose, my love, are you alright, you're quivering. Was it ok, I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked as he moved slightly to one side to kiss her.

"No, I feel strange, it was wonderful, I don't know why I was so scared, I wish I hadn't waited now if that was what I was missing withholding myself from you. Was I ok? I didn't do anything wrong did I? You were right, I just needed to relax and let it happen and I'm sorry now that I made you wait for me. I've never felt like that before, it was amazing, you are amazing." Rose saw the love in his eyes and knew she had done everything perfectly, there was no doubt in his mind it was otherwise.

"Oh Rose, you're the one that was amazing, I thought you would stop me at the last second and pull away. This is just the beginning my love, it can only get better now we've had out first time. Tell me, what has been the best part of the day, besides this of course? Was it the strawberries and cream or the bubble bath? I so wanted to get in that bath with you my sweet and every Sunday evening, I'm going to run you a bubble bath and we'll both get in it, you'd like that wouldn't you Rose, wouldn't that be nice?" He leaned over to start kissing her breasts, moving the material of the nightdress.

Rose had her arms around his back, moving one of them down to his bum and smoothing her hand over it, then sneakily pinching it to which he looked up for a second, then went back to what he was doing. Rose liked this new intimacy they had but it was only going to last a week if he didn't want to continue when he changed back. At least she had something to remember him by, because now, she could never give herself to anyone else, not that she was planning on it but would she regret later in life if she did meet someone that she had readily given herself to someone else? Even if he regenerated again and she hated him she would always remember him like this, as Jonathan Smyth, her lover. She could never imagine him looking anything other than he did now, his long hair, his gorgeous brown eyes, his slim sexy waist and when he stood in front of her. No matter how much he changed, it would still be him, she had to accept that and maybe she wouldn't be sexually attracted to him anymore like she was now, but she would always love him deep inside.

The smell of her perfume had not faded and it was making Rose sleepy and she knew they had to make an early start in the morning. Jon lifted his head and asked what was wrong when she moved her hand from his bum.

"This has been the best time of my life but it's made me feel sleepy and we do have to leave here early in the morning. I think that bubble bath relaxed me a bit too much and the smell of this perfume, I'd really love us to continue this some more but I don't want to fall asleep on you. You do understand, don't you?"

"Oh Rose, of course I do, it's understandable, all this excitement. Why don't we swap places and you come and get comfy on me, I don't want to squash you or anything. We could wake up a bit earlier in the morning to continue if you like?"

"Mmn, that would be nice," she said as they swapped places and she settled on him, not bothering to pull her nightdress down which he seemed to like.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

She was drifting off to sleep when he said her name. "Rose, Sweetheart, you know when I gave you that ring it meant I'd ask you properly when the time was right?" Rose managed a sleepy 'yes' "Well I was going to ask you on the night the play closed you know but you made me very happy tonight Rose." He kissed her neck and she moved her head to look at him. "Rose, Sweetheart, will you marry me? You make me very happy and I would be even more so if you say you will. Will you Rose, will you be my wife?"

Rose thought she was hearing things, they had just made love properly for the first time and here they were, lying touching each other and he'd actually asked her. How could she say no after all this? He had only said before he changed not to actually get married, nothing about accepted his proposal. She propped herself up, looked at him, kissed him and said "Yes."

After even more kissing and Rose suddenly no longer as tired as she thought, they gently made love again and Rose finally drifted off to sleep, happier than she had ever been. They didn't wake any earlier the next morning and had to rush around, Jon gathering all the roses to take back with them while Rose tidied the kitchen and other little things before they left, they were not going back the next weekend with them moving in. On the way back, Jon asked if she wanted a proper engagement ring.

"Jon I think you fully intended this to be an engagement ring all along, didn't you?" Jon kept quiet, more or less admitting his guilt.

"OK, you got me. I just didn't think you would accept if I came out and asked you weeks ago, but now everyone has got used to it and so have you and I thought it would make it easier and it did. You're not mad at me are you, or did you already know what I was planning? Say you're not mad at me."


	14. Chapter 14

Rose would have kissed him if he hadn't been driving. "No, I'm not mad at you, how could I be? Well, we had better make some plans now unless you want my mother hi-jacking our wedding plans?"

"Let's talk when we get back because I sort of already made some plans including that holiday I said I'd book for us, just after the play finishes. How do you feel about it being a honeymoon instead?"

Boy did he know how to drop things on her at the last minute! He certainly had a talent for it. First the whole having sex thing then the proposal last night, both as she was about to go to sleep, now this.

He went on to tell her that they would go back to London next Wednesday as planned but to get married. They would get a marriage licence when they got back and get married on the following Saturday then go off on their holiday. Rose was worried about her passport but he said it would be ok, he had booked the holiday in both their names. They talked excitedly the rest of the way back, planning on telling no-one of their plans except for Jackie. Rose rang her mum when they got back and of course she wanted to give him a lecture on taking care of her daughter which Rose said came as standard.

They couldn't make that many plans with not getting married locally but Jon though it was best if they did it in London so her mother wouldn't have to travel again and they were going back anyway. Rose said she was going to try her mother's wedding dress on when they got back, she really wanted to wear it but was afraid it would need taking in as it may be too big for her. Jon said she could at least try and they would have time for her to get another one if needed. Jackie was going to tell all their relatives so all they had to do was just go to the registry office when they got back.

When they got to the theatre, they tried not to make it too obvious, they still had a week to go and needed to keep it quiet but Kay could tell Rose was keeping something secret to herself and asked what it was. Rose was reluctant to say anything and kept tight lipped.

Then something strange happened when they got home that night, well strange to Rose, she thought about the watch, thought about showing it to him to see his reaction and she went to get it out of its hiding place. She walked into the bedroom and told him she wanted to show him something, a watch that had been passed down to her. He took it from her and opened it and nothing happened. Rose was horrified, he should have changed back. He had seen the look on her face and said it was ok, he didn't need the watch. He told her he had begun to remember things for weeks, going back to their weekend away and he hadn't said anything, he was enjoying the experience but he still was human and was going to stay human. Rose said he couldn't, they were a year or so in the past and danger was coming. He said because that was in their future, those things would still happen and his old self would still take care of it but Rose still couldn't work it out.

He asked her if she wanted him to remain human, what was he asking her, was he kidding, it was what she had always wanted but not at such a cost he wouldn't be there to save the world every time something happened. She was panicking, still feeling guilty that wanting him to be human was going to put the whole planet in danger and when she said as much, he said it would all still work out. Rose couldn't believe the man she loved could act so casually, not care about changing back and why was the watch empty? It was supposed to contain all his memories and who he was yet he knew before she showed him it, he said his memories had come back yet he hadn't said anything?

He knew there was something wrong by the look on her face and the way she just wanted to go to sleep, saying she was tired, it was late and they could make up in the morning. Jon seemed satisfied as they kissed and Rose fell asleep.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

The next thing she knew Jon was calling her name. "Rose, come on Sweetheart, we have to get going or we'll be late back to go to the theatre."

"What? What do you mean we'll be late back, it's only five minutes away," she replied sleepily, not wanting to be disturbed but then she woke up with a start. What did he mean? Then she remembered, it must have all been a dream and she didn't want to share. What had she been dreaming? What part was real, the fact they actually made love last night or the part where he asked her to marry him? How could she ask him? Come right out and say, oh by the way did you ask me to marry you last night? She didn't think so. She would have to wait for him to say something.

Rose realised they were still at their apartment just outside London and looked up at Jon who had somehow managed to get from underneath her and was getting dressed. He saw the bewildered look on her face and went back to the bed. Rose was looking well out of it.

"Sweetheart, are you ok? You look confused, what's wrong? Were you having a dream? Tell me what it was about and maybe you'll feel better." He leaned down to kiss her.

Rose didn't know what to say, how could she tell him? Instead she just said, "It's all fading now but can I ask you something?" He kissed her cheek and whispered "Yes."

"I wasn't dreaming about last night was I? Just to make sure, we had strawberries and cream with some wine down by the river yesterday afternoon, yeah?" Jon kissed her cheek, whispering a 'yes'. "Then we came back here, you ran me a bubble bath and you bought me red roses and French perfume and this nightdress?" She knew that was right, she was sort of wearing it.

She waited for him to say something else but he seemed to be waiting for her. "Then we had dinner, we danced and I changed into this and when I joined you on the sofa, we kissed and then you took me to bed? How am I doing so far?"

Jon didn't seem to want to divulge any information, he was busy kissing her neck. He looked up. "Rose, you really should get dressed because we are going to be late back by the time we've had breakfast Sweetheart. What's wrong? Why are you going over what happened last night? Oh, you think what we did last night was a dream?"

Rose felt herself blushing. "Rose, it wasn't a dream, we did go all the way and you were truly amazing and afterwards, well the strong perfume and that bubble bath you had made you sleepy and you settled on me and fell asleep. I tried to wake you half an hour ago but you were fast asleep so I just managed to get from beneath you without waking you. Now we really do have to go, I'll put the flowers in the kitchen to take back with us, they'll be ok until we get back if I wrap them up again, don't want to waste them so while I do that you can get dressed. You might as well leave your new dress here, we'll sort things out when we get back."

Rose was feeling disappointed in one sense but not in another, at least he could still change back, she must have been dwelling on the subject too much leading up to last night, she had gone to sleep with it laying heavily on her mind. She knew now she couldn't let him remain Human, not if he wasn't going to care about what happened. How could she live in the past knowing the future was bleak without the Doctor? Left alone to get dressed, she tried to shake the dream off, she was glad that she hadn't been dreaming of actually being with Jon but sad because they hadn't got engaged but perhaps it was for the best, it would only have lasted a week anyway.

They got away from the apartment and were a little late back that they had to wash Jon's hair at the theatre but at least they weren't getting stared at so much now. Rose thought Kay might have had something to do with that. A week to go and despite Rose's weird dream, she had time when they got back to find the watch and decided to put it in her lingerie drawer, hoping Jon wouldn't get too personal and go looking in there. Who knew what he did while he was in there on his own? He might have a 'thing' for going through her underwear! She would know if he had found the watch. She was just hiding it right at the back of the drawer when he called to say it was time to leave.

An ordinary week, at the theatre at least, no more was said about them being together, it had blown over since Rose announced her impending departure. Their love for each other was growing stronger now they were fully with each other, Rose no longer afraid of giving in, Jon not having to hold himself back any more and Rose figured a few more days wouldn't harm if it all had to end next Monday night. It was a shame they had to be finishing on a Monday, but that was the date they had chosen. If it had been Saturday, it would have all ended then but having Sunday off and going back for one last night seemed strange. If the play was contracted for a certain amount of performances and they had Sundays off then Rose supposed it made sense.

It gave her one extra day and night with Jon because she was determined to have that last night with him, give him the watch the following morning and stand there and let it all end, well maybe not but it was a 50/50 chance. Now she didn't have to hold back any more, there was no need to give him the watch on closing night, closing night had meant to be the night they were together and that had passed. She had planned to get him to open the watch before they were meant to be together but that was no longer the case.

On the Friday, they all had to be in early as the entire cast and crew were all going to sit down together and view the recording of the live broadcast, the first time they would see themselves on the stage together. Rose was looking forward to it, sitting arm in arm with the man she loved, watching his amazing stage performance. Everyone was buzzing with excitement at seeing themselves on the big screen that had been brought in and members of the public were offered tickets for it and some of the cast were going to answer questions afterwards, including Jon. Rose just hoped no personal questions would be asked though, he was seemingly more outgoing about their relationship since their new shared experience, he had even taken to kissing her when he came off stage for a hair or make-up change just as he left to go back on. There seemed no point in hiding away in his dressing room now, just a few more days to go, four performances and after, it would all be gone unless somehow the Tardis had arranged someone else would have played Jon's part.

Not caring an audience were sat behind them, Jon's arm was around her shoulders and her head was resting on him, looking at each other and smiling at the lighter scenes when everyone thought they were funny. There was loud clapping from the theatre audience as well as on the recording and people calling for Jon to stand up and take a bow, which he refused to do at first until he got a pinch on the bum from Rose! Taking to the stage afterwards, the cast began answering questions, having to refuse to answer those that were not about the play but Jon was asked about his favourite scene and had to admit he had more than one but if he had to choose, then the deposing scene where he is fighting over the crown and Rose knew that was her favourite too.

Later when they were in his dressing room, Jon still thought Rose was a little off balance since she woke up on the Monday morning and had left her, thinking it was all the excitement of finally being together and their impending move but they had a few minutes to themselves so Jon closed the door which Rose took as he wanted a snogging session which she was definitely up for but he told her he really wanted to know what had been wrong all week and he was worried about her.

"Rose, you have to tell me what that dream was about when you woke up on Monday morning because you thought we were here, you were disorientated, that's just not like you at all. You normally wake up with me and we always at least kiss, even when we have to set off to come back here but I couldn't wake you. Can't you tell me Sweetheart? If you can't tell me, then I can't help you. Please Rose, let me in?"

He held her back at arms length but how could she possibly tell him? Tell him he's not Jon, that he's the Doctor? A few more days and he would know anyway, why worry him? But he was worried, more now than ever, even when she had been zoning out on him, which she had managed somehow to stop doing recently but it wouldn't stop him. She had to feign the idea to him she had forgotten parts and just tell him part of it, that would appease him for now, until he opened the watch. She went for it, hating not being able to tell him everything because he would probably take her to the nearest hospital for evaluation if she did. Then she would never get him to open that damn watch. There were still times she wished that she hadn't instigated this elaborate game that involved the entire world. Talk about not doing things by halves! She had gone the whole hog on this one!

"Jon, honestly, I'm ok now. It's all this excitement, that's all, the moving, our first time, I'm fine now. It was just when I woke up, I wasn't sure if that whole day hadn't been a dream, it was so perfect, you were perfect but I knew I'd fallen asleep and I thought you had woken me up once and said something else to me but you hadn't and I couldn't remember what was the dream and what had happened. You do understand, don't you? Haven't you ever done the same? Had a dream that was so real, it was hard to come back to reality?" Rose looked at him, hoping this version would satisfy him for now. It wasn't that far from the truth, she had just omitted part of it, the part that would get her locked up probably, then the world would be in danger.

Jon pulled her back into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Oh Rose, I understand, of course I do. You did fall asleep on me but I didn't wake you until that morning. What did you think happened and what caused you have a dream that made you think you were somewhere else when you woke up?"

How could she tell him she thought he had actually asked her to marry him and they had been making plans for it? "I thought you had woken me to tell me about the holiday you were planning, that you'd booked it and it was…." Her voice trailed off, should she mention the word 'honeymoon'? Perhaps not. "It was just a dream, it didn't really happen, I know that now, I was just confused, that's all."

"Rose, I haven't booked it yet, I was going to book it but since we'll be going from London, I thought we'd get back first, I'll book a last minute one, give you a few days to settle in. That's ok, isn't it? You just came back from Spain, didn't know if you wanted to go back so soon anyway. Thought I'd make it maybe one on the islands instead of the mainland. How about Majorca? That isn't where you went was it? Would could stay in Palma, then we could take a boat to the other islands. Would you like that Sweetheart?"

Rose thought that would be perfect, if they actually ever got there though. "So what about Barcelona? I thought you were going to take me there?"

"Of course I'll take you there, we'll go for two weeks, one week in Palma and one going to different places, is that ok?"

Rose said that would be great. She still knew it would never happen but if they were still talking, she might get to see the planet.

Saturday afternoon, just before the matinee, Rose had just finished his hair and make-up after he got his first costume on when Kay came in, nodded to Jon and smiled at Rose. She wondered exactly what was going on when Jon put his arms around her.

"Rose, we have arranged a little surprise for you, Kay came to me and said she felt bad about how everyone, including her, had been treating you and wanted to make up for it so, Kay is going to see to my costume changes, the others are going to cover hers and you, my love, are taking a seat in the audience to watch the performance live. I know you saw the recording yesterday but I wanted you to actually see it live. I made a huge mistake that time when I said about being out there and I saw the disappointed look on your face. So you go and find Nigel and he'll show you to your seat, it's all been arranged, then you can come backstage during the interval and tell me how you are enjoying it."

Rose was astounded they could actually pull this off without her knowledge, especially getting the assistant manager, Nigel in on it who was personally going to escort her to a seat. No wonder Jon had said for her to hurry with his make-up today, she thought he just wanted some extra time with her and it was a good thing she had dressed fairly decently, not her usual work clothes. Jon gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her to get going, there was less then twenty minutes to go. Rose gave Kay a hug equivalent of her own and hurried to the front of the theatre to find Nigel, who was waiting for her.

"Ah, there you are Rose, I was wondering where you had got to. We've saved one of the best seats for you out of the one's we keep in reserve. It's right by the stage when Jon sits down while he's resting. Thought you might like that!"

Rose managed a 'thanks' and allowed herself to be directed by one of the ushers, Sally, who Nigel had called over and they made their way though the audience who were still talking in the foyer when they should have been taking their seats and sure enough, her seat was right by the stage when Jon sat down in one of the scenes and passed by in several others. When the play finally started, she knew this was better than watching the broadcast, seeing Jon actually on the stage, pass right by her several times and then the scene where he was dressed all in blue robes, he was sat inches from her and just before he got up, he turned and smiled at her.

When the interval came, Rose hurried backstage just in time to tell Jon how much she was enjoying it, actually sitting in the audience and went back to her seat after they managed to find a minute and a quiet corner for a few kisses. The second half of the play was even more enjoyable with their favourite scene and he seemed to enjoy it more than usual. When it came to the end of the final scene and the players came to take their bows, the audience, including a slightly over-awed Rose, called several times for Jon to come back on stage and cheered louder than with any of the others, he really had been the star.

Rose made her way backstage, she still had a tear in her eyes from his last scene, actually seeing him there and falling in front of her eyes, she never even noticed if anyone else was feeling the same. At the sight of Jon, still standing around talking in the costume he'd been wearing, the long white gown and his hair flowing, Rose just ran up to him and put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek telling him he was amazing. When they got home later that night, Rose showed him just exactly how much she had enjoyed sitting in the audience and debated if she should show him the watch, not let him open it but decided against it, just in case he did open it, she had two more nights left with him as Jon, three if she left the watch until the morning after the final performance.

It was the first time in weeks they hadn't gone straight off afterwards to London and Jon said they should use the time on the Sunday to pack things they weren't going to be using then go out for lunch. Rose agreed but there wasn't really that much to pack, Kay was going to be taking some of it and the rest, well Rose intended leaving behind since it wasn't really hers and she assumed that everything provided for her would be returned to the Tardis but she had to agree to go along with it.

Sunday night, Rose was rather sad there was just one more performance left, one more night after this one with running her fingers through Jon's long hair, the long hair that had made him so attractive to her that had probably enhanced their relationship and she was going to have to get used to him having short hair again, hopefully back to it's uncontrollable self that stuck up when you looked at it or when he ran his fingers through it. She wondered if he'd been in a part that had not required him to have long hair if she would have fallen as hopelessly in love with Jon as she had done but she already loved the Doctor, now she loved him more and hoped that somehow he could now return her love.

When they got to bed, Rose couldn't bear it any longer, that after tonight, they had one more night together and after they had made love, she buried her head in his shoulder and hung on to him. Jon of course wondered what was wrong, especially after last Monday morning but when he asked her, she didn't want to talk about it and he could tell she was trying not to cry. She had to make him believe it was because they were leaving what had been her home for two years and he did – up to a point.

"Oh Rose, are you upset you're leaving? Please don't be, you have a new home now and a new life with me, together and I promise Rose, you'll love it, travelling to different theatres around the country and who knows, maybe other countries, you and me travelling the world. Just think Sweetheart, different plays, more challenges but I'll try to take parts as near to home as possible when – well you know, when we decide to have a family." He looked at her as though talking about having a family was a natural progression, he was making real long term plans and he really meant it.

Rose had tears in her eyes, none of it was going to happen except maybe they would still travel together but he had once told her he could never have a normal life but at least now he had seen what it could be like and what exactly he was missing. Jon could feel the tears coming down her face as she thought about what he had just said, wishing it would really happen. She could settle for a life like that with Jon, quite easily. He gently eased her to one side, wiping the tears from her eyes and asked what was really wrong.

"Don't shut me out Rose, it's not just leaving is it? It's something else, something you're not telling me. You are coming to London with me aren't you? You're not backing out now, you've given up your job and this flat, you're not having second thoughts are you? Please Rose, what can I do to make you stop crying?" He had her held tightly, her head on his shoulder.

Rose managed to speak through her tears but it wasn't easy for her, she liked this life now, even though it had only been three months and now she was tempted to keep the watch hidden but that would mean leaving the Tardis behind and that would be selfish. She hated herself for deceiving him yet again.

"I'm sad about leaving yes, but I thought when the play was over, I was going to lose you. That's why when you wanted us to be together I said after the final performance because I thought if I gave in before, you'd go away and leave me and I'm sorry for even thinking that and now, we've been together properly for a week and you're still here. I shouldn't have done that, I know that now. I just thought…" her voice trailed off and she looked at him.


	15. Chapter 15

"Rose, you thought once I…? How could you think that? I love you Rose, I told you so, then I gave you that ring, wasn't that enough to prove I love you? Please tell me you didn't think I would get you to give in to me then leave you? I'd never do that, you should know by now. Please Rose, don't ever think I'd leave you, I promised to take care of you and I will. You don't even have to work if you don't want to, it was just so you could be at the theatres with me but you can just as easily be in the audience every night. Sweetheart, I'm not mad at you for thinking I was just trying to get you to give in to me but I wasn't and I don't understand why you suddenly gave in, a week before you said. Why did you Rose, what made you change your mind and why are you telling me this now?"

Rose had got herself deeper into this than she had intended to, now she had to get out of it. "I know you gave me that ring but I was still scared then last Sunday was so perfect I just knew it wasn't fair to wait any longer and if you did leave, then it wouldn't be because I wouldn't be with you."

"Did you think I'd leave you because you wouldn't be with me? I told you I'd wait but we were getting closer all the time, I just wanted us to try and it wouldn't have mattered if it didn't happen, it would have done eventually. We were getting nearer every time, I just thought the time was right. That bubble bath really worked didn't it? Go on, admit it, it was the bubble bath?" He was trying to lighten her mood and tell her he wasn't mad with her.

Rose knew what he was trying to do and it sort of worked. She had to admit, the bubble bath had played a big part. "Jon, I'm really sorry, I guess I'm just nervous with moving and everything. I know you wouldn't do that to me and I do love you. You asked me on Monday morning what I was dreaming about and I didn't tell you it all because I didn't want you to take it the wrong way. Do you still want to know?"

"Of course I do Sweetheart, tell me what it was."

"I dreamed that I was just falling asleep and you woke me to ask me something. That's why I was confused when you actually did wake me. I thought I had dreamed the whole day. Jon I dreamed that you….."

Should she tell him? It might put him off for good but it didn't matter now, it would be all over tomorrow night anyway.

Jon looked at her and he seemed to know. "Rose, are you trying to tell me that you dreamt I actually did propose to you? Is that it? Rose, you'd know about it if I did, believe me and we'll both know when it's the right time. I know why you looked disappointed now but I couldn't ask you by waking you up after we made love for the first time properly, that wouldn't be right. Oh Rose, I promised you I will ask you, at the right time and I will keep that promise. Now come back here and show me again how much you enjoyed my stage performance yesterday afternoon."

They snuggled up again and Rose showed him exactly what she thought about it again. The next morning, Jon did some more packing and Rose said she had some things in town to sort out, she was using the time to nip round and visit the Tardis as well and hoped Jon wouldn't see her but if he did, she was just going to say she was getting rid of some stuff and making sure there was room for it. Once back from town, she sneaked around the back of the building and opened the Tardis door. The ship seemed happy to see her, she hadn't had much time to visit lately. Rose said they would be back soon, the following day and asked the ship if she had done the right thing, making him happy. The lights flashed and she assumed that she had. She tried again to ask if he'd be mad when he changed back and got no reply. Good, hopefully he would appreciate what she had done under the circumstances, he had given her very few ground rules of his own to follow but she had broken hers, that of not crossing the line but now, she didn't regret it despite her earlier fears and she hoped he would understand why she had, it was because she loved him and wanted him to have a normal life, even if it was for only a short time and he had, he had known how much she loved him.

She managed to get away without being seen and went back into the flat, Jon was making some lunch before they left for the theatre then Rose was going to wash his hair. Tomorrow, that long hair would be gone and she was going to get her fingers through it one last time tonight and maybe in the morning if she was lucky, before she gave him the watch. She just hoped her dream didn't come true and the watch was empty! They just had time after lunch to get together on the sofa for a while before they set off for the last time. The watch was still where she had left it and in the morning, she would show him it. Game over.

There was a lot of excitement and buzz in the theatre, they wanted the last night to be just right, therefore, there were bound to be some things that were going to be unexpected, someone would give in to the temptation to change something and make people laugh. Sure enough, one scene Jon was in, he whether by accident or not, threw something a bit too far and everyone laughed and the deposing scene went a bit too far and at the end, Jon took a bit too long with his death scene, rather elaborately. The audience loved it, they clapped and cheered more than usual, especially when Jon came back on and bunches of flowers were thrown at his feet, which he picked up and handed to the ladies and kept one for Rose.

Suddenly, he asked someone behind him to get Rose out onto the stage and someone called her. "Rose, go on, Jon's calling you" to which she shook her head but several pairs of hands were shoving her towards the stage until finally someone led her on and she was standing besides Jon, who handed her the flowers and kissed the back of her hand to clapping from the audience. Rose was totally stunned. He led her off the stage but the crowd were calling him back. He obliged but after several more bows, he jokingly asked if they had homes to go to which they took good naturedly. When he finally got away, Rose was waiting and he just went up to her and kissed her in front of everyone, saying he'd wanted to do that since the first day and everyone was clapping as they broke the kiss.

He hurriedly got dressed and went to sign autographs for the last time, there was a party being held in the café upstairs and Jon told Rose to go up instead of waiting for him but she insisted she stayed and said she wasn't going up without him. So ten minutes later, he came back in but instead of going to the stairs, he walked towards the stage. Rose didn't notice him nodding to one of the lighting crew and one of the stagehands as he led her towards the way onto the stage and Rose found herself standing on it again but suddenly, the lights went dim and the backdrop lit up and was the only light. Rose asked what was going on and she didn't see the singers take their place in the side gallery later either.

"Jon, what's all this? It was bad enough you brought me on stage earlier so why are we here again? What's going on?"

"Rose, I said we would both know when the time was right. When I would ask you after I gave you that ring and you almost got this out of me last night but I've been planning this Sweetheart, with a little help so here we are, in the place we met and just spent three months in so I think this is the right time and place to ask you." He went into his jacket pocket and brought out a small silver pouch then got down on both his knees.

Rose just stared at him, she couldn't believe what he was doing.

"Rose Tyler, you're not dreaming this, this is real. Rose, will you marry me, please, will you be my wife?" He took a diamond solitaire ring out of the pouch then took her left hand and removed the promise ring and place the diamond one on her finger and put the other ring on her other hand, just like Rose had asked him to do previously.

Rose almost lost her balance as she nearly stumbled, Jon caught hold of her. What could she say? She had promised she would give him her answer and it was only going to be for one night, so what was the harm? She looked at the ring, looked at Jon and said yes, only this time, it was no dream.

They fell into each others arms and kissed, Rose was vaguely aware there was some singing coming from above as the girls began a piece from the play but they continued kissing. Some of the stage crew were aware he was going to ask her and word soon got round that he had taken Rose on stage to propose to her and people were rushing down from the party to catch a glimpse. By the time they broke their kiss, there was wild applause and cheering coming from the side of the stage and the musicians were joining in the music. Rose just looked around and put her hand over her mouth, she felt like bursting into tears, she was so happy but also so sad this had actually happened and no-one would remember it, the spell would be broken in the morning.

They walked towards the wings to clapping, Jon was getting patted on the back as they made their way upstairs to even more loud applause and cheering from those who couldn't get downstairs in time. Everyone raised their glasses and wished them luck as they drank and were called upon to repeat the kiss they had shared on stage, which they were more than happy to do. When they finally got away, it was after midnight and Rose knew it was going to be too late to get him to open the watch now anyway so as they drove home for the last time, their home for three months, Rose was quiet but smiling and looking at the ring.

When they got back, Jon insisted they went straight to bed to celebrate. How could Rose refuse one last time? She let his hair down hair, the hair that would go back to normal tomorrow and they kissed as they fell into bed. That night was even better than their first as Rose wanted to remember it if it was going to be their last time together unless they did have time in the morning.

Rose was awake first, unusual for her but it must have been the guilt of having to get him to open the watch. She got up and went to the bathroom, mainly to reassure herself she had to do this, then went back in to find he had just woken up. She went to the drawer and took the watch out and sat on the bed. She hoped this time would be better than her dream.

"Jon, I want to show you something." She held up the watch as he looked at it. "This was handed down to me, it's very old and it's priceless and I want you to have it. It's also very unusual, see the pattern on it?" She moved nearer so he could see.

He put his hand on it and looked at it. Rose expected some reaction from him or the watch but she was holding it too, maybe he had to open it on his own? She let go and kissed his cheek.

"It's got an unusual pattern inside as well, you should see it Jon, I want to give the watch to you because I love you. Do you want to open it?"

Jon looked at her and smiled. It was then that Rose got the shock of her life.

"Oh Rose, my sweet Rose, I would love to open it but first, there's something you need to know." He kissed her again, still holding the watch then ran his finger on her cheek.

"Rose, how can I explain this to you? Well, to put it simply, I'm no longer Jon, haven't been for about a week, well technically I'm still Jon and I'm still human. It's me Rose, the Doctor. We were having such a special time, just the two of us, oh, I know I got the wrong year, discovered that when we met Mickey, his face was a picture when he saw us! I started remembering things, when you asked me when I'd done that interview and well, you know me, it got me thinking then I remembered more but you Rose, you looked after me, never left me and well, after I'd given you that ring you seemed so happy. I couldn't let you finish our adventure because, well, I liked it. For the first time, I knew what it was like to have an ordinary life and to be loved. Please Rose, please understand, I wanted this, more than anything. The Earth wasn't in danger, I knew it wasn't and I knew it was only for another week and I didn't want to spoil things for you. Oh and just whose idea was it I get to be in this play and have this long hair? If it was the Tardis, there will be trouble when I get back!"

Rose had remained silent throughout his revelation but she was thinking plenty. How could he not tell her before? There again, he was right, it would have spoiled it, the whole thing would have been over, that was why he had waited but it meant one thing, he was no longer being deceived by her, she was the one who had been deceived, the whole world had been deceived, he had turned the tables on her, played her at her own game by letting her think he was still Jon. Right, what was she going to do about it, kiss him or slap him for fooling her? Who was she kidding, she had tried to fool him so they were even, 1-1 and they had both won. The Doctor had been experience being a Human male and she had got what she wanted, someone who loved her back but he still hadn't said he did, not since he just told her it was really him who she had made love to for the last week, given herself to him without reservation.

"So, you played me at my own game, that's just like you, I should slap you silly for letting me think you were still Jon but I suppose I'm just as guilty as you are, I let you lead me on because I wanted you to be Jon but you took advantage of what I wanted."

"No, I didn't take advantage, you gave in of your own free will, remember? You said so, you wanted me. You wanted both sides of me but you fell in love with Jonathan Smyth and you liked it, the long hair especially, which by the way, I seem to remember now sitting in a chair and having it stitched onto my own so would you kindly take it out for me please? That ship is so going to get it when I return! Where is she Rose, where's the Tardis? She must be close by, I've missed her, did she miss me?" He saw the look on Rose's face, that famous look of hers that could melt blocks of ice or even icebergs and he knew he was in trouble.

Rose really didn't know whether to kiss him or slap him so she did both. She suddenly slapped his face and as he raised his hand to stop her from giving him another, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. When they let go, he pulled her back into bed and they kissed again.

"I should be so mad at you for this you know and the Tardis is just behind this building, shouldn't you know that?"

"Not really, I still need to open the watch, pass it here and I'll open it."

"Oh no you don't, not yet, I'm not finished with Jon yet, you have some more explaining to do. For starters, what was all that on stage last night, don't go telling me I dreamt that as well because I have the proof, right here on my finger and if you change back now, this ring might disappear plus, when you change back, it could be awkward because you're in bed, naked with me and this flat might disappear and we find ourselves in the middle of the Tardis console room, like this and not forgetting what happens to the entire Earth when Jonathan Smyth disappears into oblivion after he proposed to his girlfriend on stage last night. So come on then, you have some explaining to do and you might want to get dressed before you actually open that watch."

He looked at her, he could still see her breasts over the edge of the cami top she had put on when she'd gone to the bathroom, just barely covering them. Rose thought he was getting his final look before he decided it had all been part of the illusion and didn't think he was entitled to look again. If he thought he was going to get out of it that easily he was very much mistaken.

"Well, last night was real, I planned it after last weekend and the rings are real. It's up to you if you want to keep them but we won't be deposited onto the grating of the Tardis console room naked, I made plans for all situations in the event we were – erm, in a compromising position when I opened the watch. Finally, Jonathan Smyth won't just vanish from the face of the Earth because he was never in that play. The play really did take place but in the future, in 2013, in that very theatre although it didn't stay there for three months, it transferred to another theatre and it ran from October 2013 to January 2014 with a break inbetween for moving the production. All the cast and backstage crew were real except you and me. I sort of 'borrowed' someone's identity in his personal timeline, it won't affect him, he'll still have a brilliant career and he'll become more famous and popular than you ever imagined Rose. You think you like him now but wait until a few years time and wait until you really do get to see him in that play! I think I did him a favour! Although he'll never know it."

"So you 'borrowed'…" Rose couldn't believe who he actually meant. "Oh please tell me you didn't? You based yourself on David Tennant? You are so kidding me! I know I said you look like him, well most of the time but you saw he was in a play in the future and based all this on those events? Wow, will he actually know?" The Doctor shook his head. "No, I don't suppose he would. My mother got taken in on all this as well you know. I made a big mistake because I wanted her to see you in the play and she fell under the same illusion as everyone else and when I realised, I knew I was on my own, no-one to turn to. You told me to keep her out of it and I'm sorry."

Rose leaned into him and he put his arm back around her. "You really should get dressed you know, you're not making this easy for me. Wait a minute, you really did propose last night? You meant it? You really love me, you, the Doctor, not Jonathan Smyth?

"Rose, I'm both, don't you get it? It's been me you've been making love with every night, it was me you gave yourself to, as Jon yes, I admit that but it was the only way I could be sure how I felt about you and I do love you, Rose Tyler. Now no more questions and come here one last time before we go back to the Tardis because I want you one more time as Jon with this long hair, although I might grow my own hair since it does things to you and turns you on."

He slid down her panties and they made love one more time with him as Jon, it seemed to make no difference to them, they really did love each other after all, it was just like Rose had said all along, taking a little intervention to get him to admit his feelings for her. Rose didn't want to take his hair extension out and as they came together, she was fingering his hair for the last time. They finally parted and he asked if she was ok. They got dressed, Rose got her own belongings together and she took the hair extension out and ended up having to cut his own hair as it had grown but she made sure it was well spiked up.

Just as they were leaving though, Rose had a couple of questions for him. "So what happens to this flat and the other apartment? What happens to everyone else?"

"Well once I step into the Tardis and open the watch, the world will go on as normal but there will have been no Jonathan Smyth and the theatre will have been presenting a different play, your David Tennant will have been of doing whatever it was he was doing, a film I think, one of those Harry Potter ones, that's where he gets his real big break. Our home for three months will just become vacant, Kay just moved out, taking everything with her and the apartment in Richmond, well that's really ours."

Rose looked at him, it really was theirs? How had he managed that? "You actually bought it? How?"

"Yes, it's ours, we can't keep going to your mother's every time we come back, we need a place of our own to relax so we'll go there every weekend, in our own time that is and don't worry about your mother, I think you'll find she likes me now!" He kissed her once more as they left, walking around the back to the Tardis. Once inside, Rose sat on the jumpseat, well out of his way as he prepared to open the watch but before he did, he walked up to Rose and kissed her.

"I love you Rose, nothing is going to change that, nothing is going to change between us and we will have that holiday but I want to take you somewhere first."

He stepped back and opened the watch. A golden light surrounded him, Rose could hear voices, mostly his coming from it and in a few seconds, it was all over. He stood with a big grin on his face and walked over to Rose and kissed her.

"See, told you nothing would change, didn't I?"

He never gave her chance to reply as he flipped switches and released the handbrake. Rose was stunned, he really had loved her all along and they hadn't been living a lie, she really had given herself to the Doctor and she had felt guilty over nothing and now they had some sort of future together but she still wasn't sure he really had asked her to marry him but she could live with that.

"Rose, go put something nice on, we've arrived, I'm off to put my suit back on although when we get back I can wear those tight jeans and t-shirts you like if you want!"

Rose kissed him and went to get changed after asking if she had to dress up properly or just generally. When she came back, he nodded, took her hand and they stepped outside. Rose couldn't believe it! They were standing outside the same theatre on a cold October afternoon looking at a giant poster advertising 'Richard II' starring David Tennant as King Richard and it was an afternoon when the cast were answering questions afterwards and Rose actually got to speak to him and ask him a question which was what was his favourite scene and it was the same one as theirs had been and on the way back to the Tardis, Rose couldn't understand how no-one had seemed to notice how much the two of them looked alike. Rose had wanted to go backstage and meet him so the Doctor had used his psychic paper to get them through and Rose recognised Kay, just about but of course Kay didn't know Rose and most of the cast were different since it was years in their future and she managed to get her programme signed by the man himself, remembering how eager fans were waiting outside and there she was, getting it personally signed and even he hadn't noticed how much the Doctor and he looked alike. Rose had her photo taken with him and hoped her phone didn't look too out of date for the time period.

When they were back in the Tardis, Rose couldn't thank the Doctor enough for doing that, it meant a lot to her, seeing the play for real and meeting the real star.

"Right, back to our own time then, we have some plans to make," he said as he released the handbrake.

"So what plans might they be then? My mother will be back to normal now, won't she and Mickey won't be there will he?

"No, everything's as it should be and when we've been to see your mother, we'll go to our new apartment, get used to it and then Rose Tyler, you have a promise to keep!"

"Oh and what might that be?" she asked as she swayed in front of him, trying to evade his attempts to kiss her to avoid answering her.

"You said yes to me, remember? We'll go tell your mother then when we've picked her up off the floor, we'll get that marriage licence and get married, that's if you still want to, you did accept Jon's marriage proposal, you can back out if you want?"

"Are you joking, no way, Doctor, you're not getting out on a technicality, you were Jon, you have to accept responsibility for your actions, Mr Smyth but there is one thing, how are we going to get a marriage licence exactly?"

"Oh, right, good question. OK, well, I've got this friend in Scotland, back in 1961, he'll marry us, owns the local blacksmith's, says young couples go to him all the time to get married when their parents try to separate them, he owes me a favour from when I mended his anvil with my sonic screwdriver. Your mum can come if she wants."

Rose just laughed. "So you'll still take me to Spain, to Barcelona? For our honeymoon?" He nodded, kissing her forehead. "Oh and just before you changed into Jon, you promised you'd take me to the moon, remember?"

This time he really kissed her, picked her up and carried her to his room, then he changed the ceiling into the view of the Earth from the moon and they made love underneath the blue satin sheet, the only light coming from the view of the Earth.

"Oh Rose, I really do love you so much and I hadn't forgotten I promised to take you to the moon so here's what we'll do."

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

A few days later, once Jackie had recovered from the shock of having the Doctor as her son-in-law, they all went off to see his friend the blacksmith and were married, holding hands over the anvil and afterwards, they dropped Jackie back off again, her not actually believing it was all true and that she was stuck with him now but promised she's slap him if he broke her daughter's heart or if he called her 'mum'.

Back in the Tardis, they kissed for a while after consummating their marriage, then he set the co-ordinates of the Tardis – Spain, with a visit to Barcelona and afterwards, a stopover on the moon before carrying on to the actual planet of Barcelona. It was while they were on the moon, the doors open, safely inside the shielding the Tardis had provided, they made love on the moon's surface with a view of the Earth, just like the projection on their bedroom ceiling and just nine months later, Rose had their first child, naming her Astrid.

The End!

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this story, please vote for it in the 'Inkitt' fanfic contest http://www.inkitt.com/stories/46474 - thanks!


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